Deception
by Linny27
Summary: J/S, B/OC; Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. She and Bobby take a liking to one another, yet they have to meet while in the midst of a very difficult case. They still press on until they find out that she hasn't told them the...pg17
1. Chapter One

Deception

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them.

Not one of my best, so please be kind.

**Chapter One**

Early morning traffic was always the worst. He was only a few blocks away from the Hoover Building and would have walked if he'd had the nerve to leave his car. Downtown Washington, DC wasn't exactly a great place to leave a nice car unattended. He learned that the hard way when he was just starting out in the city when his entire car had been stripped and its parts sold out of a chop shop.

With a sigh, he stuck his head out of the window to see what the hold-up was. Unfortunately, all he could see was more cars. He cursed under his breath as he honked his horn and brought his head back inside.

He closed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. _'Of all the days to be stuck in traffic,'_ he thought to himself. Garrett had wanted everyone in the bullpen on time for a very important briefing, but there was no way he would be able to make it now. He'd called Lucy to tell everyone he was going to be late. She told him that she understood and would relay the message.

He was beginning to believe that this was going to be one of the worst days of his life. His suspicions were confirmed when a gap opened up between him and the SUV in front of him. He was just about to move forward when a motorcycle suddenly moved in from the left lane, causing him to slam on his brakes. He stopped only inches away from the tail of the motorcycle and leaned on his horn in frustration. Of course, the biker either didn't notice or didn't care that he had just cut in front of an FBI agent on his way to work, because he never turned his head in acknowledgement.

A growl emitted from deep within the agent's throat as he stared at the back of the rider. He was wearing a pair of tight-fitting blue jeans that had holes cut up the sides of the legs from extensive wearing. A leather jacket sat on his back, a backpack over it, blocking the image on the back that had faded from its original vibrancy. But, the helmet was what caught his attention most. The airbrushed design was of deeply-colored green ivy tangled around a red, thorned rose. If he knew better, it could have been a gang symbol. Of course, gangs were mostly Metro's problem. Still, it didn't stop him from wondering.

As he continued to stare at the helmet, a miracle happened; traffic started to move again. The rider of the motorcycle moved with very little effort, signaling the traffic jam had ended. A sigh of relief escaped him as he put his foot on the gas.

When he was at the intersection before the Hoover Building's parking garage, he saw the motorcycle turn right and leave his sight. At least he didn't have to worry about that distraction any longer. He had been having the sudden urge to rear-end the motorbike, but that would just add insult to injury. He had the nickname "Crash" for a reason and he didn't want his coworkers to ridicule him more than necessary.

With very little trouble, he pulled up to the gate of the parking garage and showed his pass to the guard. As he was about to pull inside, something caught his eye from the visitor's parking lot. It was the motorcycle and the rider was getting off his bike. He took of his helmet to reveal that it hadn't been a 'he' after all. _She_ was a very attractive woman in her mid- to late-twenties. Her long, dark hair swayed in the small breeze as her shimmering blue eyes glanced at him. A smile crossed her lips as she turned away and headed toward the visitor's entrance. She had been swaying her hips elegantly as she walked, he knew, to entice him. No one would deny that it was working.

A smiled crossed his lips as he proceeded into the parking garage. Maybe today wasn't going to be such a bad day after all. Then he happened to glance at his watch. Of course, he could have been wrong.

The smile on her lips didn't fade as she crossed the parking lot, her helmet in hand. When he had first moved to DC, she didn't think too much good would come of moving here. She had just gotten out of a long relationship and she was still down in the dumps about it. He was a jerk anyway.

Then she had seen _him_ poke his head out his vehicle. She couldn't really hear what he had been muttering because of the engine of her bike. But, what did catch her attention were his eyes. He had the most intense stormy blue eyes she had ever seen. That was why she had cut in front of him. She wanted to see his reaction, or rather hear it.

She loved to see the fire in people's eyes as they became enraged at her. Meanwhile, she always kept a cool head. She never became angry, unless it was absolutely necessary. Fortunately, that wasn't too often.

Her grin widened when she saw his face as she removed her helmet. He had really thought she was a man; it made her laugh. She wasn't built like a man; on the contrary. She had a very womanly figure which she enjoyed showing off lately; mostly because she was a free woman now. But, when she wore her leather jacket, it added unnecessary bulk which seemed to surprise everyone.

She loved the shocked look he gave her when he peered at her through his passenger window. Maybe things were looking up for her. She had a great job, a lot of respect, and a guy she always seemed to cross paths with.

Perhaps, DC wasn't going to be so bad after all.


	2. Chapter Two

**Like I said, this might not be my best. I wrote this a year or two ago and my writing styles has changed a great deal in all that time. **

* * *

**Chapter Two**

When he entered the bullpen a few minutes later, Bobby surprisingly had a grin on his face and an apology on his lips. Unfortunately, there was no one in the bullpen to give the excuse to except Lucy. She looked up at him and examined his puzzled expression with an amuse one of her own. "Garrett couldn't wait, so Jack said he'd fill you in afterwards. Was traffic really _that_ bad?" He just gave her a look that showed how annoyed at everyone he truly was at this point. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

He took a seat at his desk and went to work on the mountain of paperwork that sat there as Lucy got a call from the front desk and the rest of the team entered the office.

Myles, who possibly had enough gall to ridicule the President, himself, spoke up first as he saw the late arrival. "Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence!"

"Get nicked!" the Aussie stated as he looked up from his paperwork to stare daggers at the New Englander. The funny part about it was that his lips twitched into a smile for only a second as he thought back to the beautiful motorcyclist. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished just as fast.

"Ooh, testy today, aren't you Bobby?" D joked as he saw the aggravated look on his teammate's face.

"Bad morning?" A kind voice, obviously Sue's, asked.

He looked at her. "Yes… and no." He couldn't help but smile again, but he couldn't hide this one as easily.

Tara looked up from her computer and examined Bobby's features. What he had said made her curious. "What is that supposed to mean?" She was on the other side of the room, so naturally, she caught everyone else's attention in the process.

Bobby tried his hardest to keep from smiling, but nothing seemed to work. He tried thinking of the worst possible scenarios in the world, yet her image would always fizzle into his mind. He hadn't noticed it at first, but when he thought back to her retreating image, he could have sworn he spotted a tattoo on her lower back. But, what the image consisted of, he was completely in the dark about. "I don't know what you're talking about." He cleared his throat as he felt his cheeks become hot and tried to go back to his paperwork, but he could feel everyone's eyes on him as Jack spoke up.

"I've seen that look before." Everyone turned their attention to their team leader to get the full scoop. Everyone was so entranced in this conversation. It had been a long time since they'd had something to tease Bobby about. This was just gold! "He's met a girl." He spoke in a teasing tone that all of them noticed.

A light pink tint rose to Bobby's cheeks as his best friend caught him; he'd just wished he hadn't been found out until he actually met the girl. He knew they would be happy for him no matter what, considering he hadn't exactly been the same fun and carefree Bobby they all knew and loved since Darcy left for LA. Mostly he would just mope around and forget that Aussie charm that every girl would fawn over.

But, she had been gone now for a few months. It was time for him to get back onto his feet and get back into dating. "Not exactly," he replied as he turned his eyes back to his paperwork. "I haven't exactly met her in person, but I have seen her around DC for a few months, now. We've always seemed to cross paths with one another."

"So, what was it this time?" Lucy asked. "She just happened to be walking her dog down the street while you were parked in traffic? Your eyes locked as you struggled to get a good glimpse at her? She gave you a perfect smile that melted your heart?" She was being sarcastic, but she to fan herself from melting into a puddle of goo in the middle of the bullpen. She would just love that to happen to her. It was so hard to meet a guy these days and he felt like she had been scraping the bottom of the barrel, lately. She felt her cheeks get hot as she felt everyone's eyes on her. She wasn't surprised when she saw that they were.

Bobby shook his head as his body quaked with laughter. "Keep dreamin', Luce," he answered. "No, actually, she was in front of me while stuck in traffic."

"So, how did you know it was her? Did she stick her head out of the window and shout like a Neanderthal for everyone to move?" Myles asked, slightly interested by that concept because he felt that she would be the perfect match for his teammate.

"No, she was riding her motorcycle. I didn't even realize it was her until she pulled into the visitor's parking lot and removed her helmet."

"The visitor's parking lot?" Sue asked. "You mean, she's in the building right this second and you're not scrambling around to find out who she is?"

Bobby smiled at Sue with a sly gaze. "That's just not who I am, luv. Besides, I got her plate number." He held up a slip of paper with the number on it and then stuck it in his pocket. He had written it down just in case if anything happened in traffic; now he had a better reason. "Now, can we please get off the subject of my love life and someone please explain what the meeting with Garrett was all about?"


	3. Chapter Three

**Thank you for the kind response. I'm not expecting this to get rave reviews, so every little one means so much! Thanks!**

**Also, words in BOLD are sign language.**

**Thanks so much!**

**Lindsy**

Deception

**Chapter Three**

"_Can we please get off the subject of my love life and someone please explain what the meeting with Garrett was all about?"_

Lucy giggled as she went to her desk to, once again, answer the phone. Bobby could be so shy and demure at times. She found it to be quite an enduring quality of his. Any girl would be lucky to have him chase after her.

"Okay," Jack said as order was one more restored. "Garrett has just informed us of a possible drug ring setting up shop in downtown DC. As far as we know, two men have been killed because of it. Their names are: Carl Stephens and Nathanial Kale; two upstanding citizens that seemed to fall into the wrong crowd."

Bobby looked at Jack with confusion etched across his face. Why was this a case for the FBI? "Okay, shouldn't Metro be handling this? I mean, it certainly isn't a matter of national security?"

"That's where we hit a snag," Jack continued. "It _is_ Metro's case for the moment, but there is a possibility that a few elected officials are working alongside this group. It seems that they are getting paid large sums of money to keep quiet on the subject and no one has done anything about it, until now."

"And apparently, this whole thing is being run by Esteban Rojas," Myles continued. "He's a very highly-known drug smuggler known around South America. He was originally born in America, but found his fortune in Brazil with some kind of coffee. Now, he's risen to Drug Lord."

Bobby's expression didn't change. He wasn't exactly sure of what he meant. So many scenarios were playing out with his mind about this case, but none of them made any bit of sense. "I… don't get it."

"He means," D took over, "that we're going to have to team up with Metro to take them down." Another piece fell into place.

"Yes, and with out favorite Metro detective and his team as well," Myles added with sarcasm that no one could miss.

Bobby immediately caught on after that. He nodded his head as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Stern," he stated. They were talking about Robert Stern; a man who was very hard to work with. It was always his way or nothing. Jack and Bobby were amazed that he was able to lead a team, considering his record. Of course they were as much roughnecks and loose-canons as he was. They seemed to work well together.

"I don't understand," Sue began, "what's so bad about him?" She had to admit that his name was familiar, yet she couldn't put her finger on where it had come up before.

"Got a few hours?" Tara asked with revulsion. She even gave a shudder of discomfort as she thought back to the last time they had even spoken with Stern. Sue took that as an incentive to not ask that question again.

When Jack was positive that everyone understood what was going on, he began to lay down the game plan. "Okay, Bobby, you and I will meet with Stern tonight to discuss everything… or as much as we can handle. He said he didn't want to attract too much attention to our meeting, so he's having us meet him at some bar in the city."

"Sue and I'll be handling surveillance and Myles and D will be added security. It's just in case Stern pulls a fast one on us and goes for all the glory… as usual," Tara added with another look of contempt.

"You don't think he's trustworthy?" Sue asked, knowing that probably wasn't the question she should have asked.

"It's not that," Myles began. "He's just a real **S-E-E-D-Y** character." He finger-spelled the word "seedy" so she would understand what he had said. "He's the kind of detective who will bend the rules to get his way. He thinks it's actually okay to go above the law to stop whoever he's after."

She nodded in understanding as she saw Lucy waving her over to her desk, a puzzled expression in her eyes. Her involvement in the conversation ended as Lucy gave her a message that she didn't completely understand, but she knew Sue would.

"So, which bar and would it be recommended that I wear my gun?" Bobby asked, sardonically.

"It's this really sleazy place downtown called Boomer's; the perfect place for Stern to conduct a meeting." Tara sneered as the thought of that man. He certainly was no angel, but it wasn't like he was a dirty cop; he wasn't. They just couldn't trust him. "And yes," she added about the gun.

"He said he had some really good contacts that hand out there," Jack added with a roll of his eyes. He knew that was complete rubbish. Most likely, it was just a place where Stern could be around his fellow sinners. "It doesn't really matter to me as long as we make an agreement with him. Now, he's probably going to have some of his own team stationed around the perimeter. Unfortunately, he changes teams to often that we don't know which ones still work for him and what the new ones even look like, so keep your eyes peeled." He looked at Myles, D, and Bobby sternly as they took in all of the information.

"Can do," Bobby agreed.

Jack was ready to continue with the debriefing, until he noticed Sue was no longer part of the group. He turned to see her staring at the message that Lucy had given her; her eyes were wide in surprise. "Sue?" He asked, waving his hand to get her attention.

She quickly snapped back into reality when she saw Jack's hand waving in front of her face. "Oh, sorry. I just got the most amazing news of my life."

"There's a cure for Levi?" Myles quipped. Levi, who had been hiding out behind Sue's desk the entire time let out a soft whimper to signal that he had heard.

She shook her head as if he hadn't even made a joke. This news was certainly something if she didn't even care that her hearing dog had just been made fun of. "No… My cousin, Danielle, is here to see me; she's downstairs right now."

"As great as that sounds, Sue, I don't see how it's so "_amazing"_," D stated, but his eyes showed that he really cared and understood. Family was important to her; not even one of the biggest cases the FBI had ever handled would get in the way of her spending time with them.

"You don't understand. I haven't seen her in almost _seven years_! It was her high school graduation party where I saw her last."

"So, you haven't seen or spoken to her for seven years?" Tara asked. She was shocked. Usually, Sue kept up good with her family, making sure to see them at least once a year; this was definitely something different.

"I've spoken to her and we've kept in contact through e-mail, but I haven't seen her since she graduated… I'm not even sure what she looks like right now." She paused as she thought back to the quiet, little high school student she had known all of her life. Sue was sure that she had been doing something really great with her life, though she never did read anything about schooling or any jobs she had worked. _'Perhaps that info had just slipped her mind,' _she thought.

They had been so close when she was younger; Sue had been saddened when they lost contact for a few years while Danielle was in college. Sue never understood why, but didn't pressure her cousin. She knew she would tell her in her own time. Luckily, they were quickly catching up for lost time. "She was like a sister to me."

D nodded. "I think we all understand. We could all do with a bit of a break for today, anyway. The meeting with Stern will take more energy than we've all got, combined." He looked to Jack for support of his decision.

"Uh, right. Go see her, Sue." His eyes showed his understanding, but also something else that she just couldn't pinpoint. Whatever it was, Jack was very good at keeping it inside. She smiled at him for thinking of her needs, though it was something he often did since she turned down the job in New York. He'd seemed different since she'd told him he was staying; she just wanted to know why and if it involved her in some way. Jack's speaking, once again, broke her thoughts. "We have to meet here at seven before going to talk with Stern anyway. I think it would do you some good to catch up with her… in person."

She smiled and nodded. _"_**Thank you**_,"_ she signed.


	4. Chapter Four

**Thank you and remember, BOLD means sign language.**

**Lindsy**

Deception

**Chapter Four**

She didn't recognize her at first. Her hair was longer and darker; her attire was something she wasn't used to seeing her wear; the way she even stood wasn't as she remembered. What had given her away had been the girl's face. There was no doubt about it that it was her cousin as she saw her electric-blue eyes light up even more as she spotted Sue. "Danielle?" Sue was beside herself. It was definitely a change to what she had been picturing for so long.

She looked down at Levi as if for reassurance that she was actually seeing what she thought, but he was no help. He just looked back up at her as he sat at her feet.

She had half-expected the teenager she had seen so long ago, clad in one of the floral-print dresses she always wore; but standing before her was a woman, clad in a leather jacket and t-shirt with the same logo that was airbrushed on the helmet she held in her hands.

Before Danielle knew it, Sue's arms were tightly wrapped around her slender, but muscular frame which made her smile. It felt good to see her favorite cousin once again. She was just so sorry that it had been such a long time since they had seen one another. "It's been a long time," she signed perfectly as she spoke, something she had always done around Sue. It had been years since she'd done any signing; fortunately, it was just like riding a bike. "I've missed you so much. You look wonderful!"

"So do you." A smile crossed Sue's lips. "You changed your hair," she pointed to Danielle's head and smile approvingly. "It looks great." She was being honest, though it might not seem so. Danielle's hair had gotten a drastic makeover. It used to be such a beautiful medium blond color and it hung only just past her shoulders; the perfect look for her flawless pale skin. Now, her dark brown hair hung practically to the small of her back, but it blended very nicely with her lightly bronzed skin. Sue had never seen her cousin look more beautiful.

"**Thank you,**" Danielle signed. "I'm sorry to visit you here… I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't have your address."

The blond nodded and wrapped her arm around the brunette's shoulder like she always did all those years ago. It was a sign of affection, but it also comforted them both. They had missed out on a lot together and they wanted to get that back. "It's all right, but you could have gotten the address from your mother, couldn't you?" Sue felt her go suddenly rigid and looked at her face. Danielle was chewing on her lower lip as a shadow passed over her eyes. Sue didn't know. "What is it?"

The pain that resided in the girl's eyes made Sue's heart wrench. "You don't know, do you?" The clueless expression Sue wore was answer enough. "My mother and I aren't getting along as well as we used to." She gave a look of apology, though she had no real reason to apologize. But, the surprised look on her cousin's face made her feel so much worse. She had to explain to her, as hard as it would be, but she didn't want to do it here. "Um, how about we go for a cup of coffee? We still have a lot to talk about."

She nodded, and then looked at the helmet in Danielle's hand. "One thing, Danielle; I'm driving."

The girl nodded and smiled coyly. "Okay, but only if you do me a favor; call me Danni. Everyone calls me Danni." She looked down at Levi and bent down to pet him. "Is this the Levi I've read so much about?" As if to answer her himself, he began to give her warm, wet, doggy kisses.

The smile that crossed Sue's lips was one that Danni remembered very well. It was the one she always wore when they were together. The girl felt relaxed about that, considering there was so much that she needed to tell Sue and only hoped that she would understand.

* * *

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as his mountain of paperwork began to diminish very slowly. A cramp had formed on the back of his neck and he rubbed it to relieve the tension. He set down his pen and leaned back in his chair to stretch. Surprisingly, he still had a smile on his face.

Jack grinned at the smile Bobby had. He felt that it was about time. "Do you think you could stop that for a sec?"

Bobby shook his head. "Nope."

"Geez, I'd hate to think of how you'll act when you actually meet her. Now, that's a scary thought." He expertly dodged the paper ball that he knew would be thrown at him for that comment.

"Oh, come on, mate. You act like you've never been able to stop smiling before. If my memory serves well, and I'm sure it does, you do that every time our Ms. Thomas enters the room." He chuckled until he saw the "shut up" look Jack was giving him. Bobby immediately stopped, but his grin remained. "What? Come on, Jack. Of all the people in this office, I would think even you could admit to that."

"Yeah, well, our relationship is…"

"Non-existent?" Bobby offered with a chuckle.

"… Complicated," Jack finished with finality.

"Have you even tried to make a move?" Jack's "shut up" expression returned. "Okay, all I'm saying is: make a move before someone else steals her away. Remember David?"

Jack remembered all too well. Luckily, though, they had decided to just be friends. When Sue decided against the job in New York, Jack had been determined to tell Sue his feelings. Unfortunately, he had just been too chicken or the topic never came up. "You know I can't do that, Bobby. I don't want to put both of our jobs in jeopardy."

"But, sometimes, it's worth it if you love her. And don't say that you don't know what I'm talking about." He pointed his finger and looked at Jack like he knew what he was talking about.

Jack shook his head, yet his smile gave everything away. "Okay, I won't." His thoughts were forever on Sue. He loved her so much that it hurt. But, that was why it would never work. He loved her, but he still didn't know how she felt about him.

Bobby's smile fell and his eyes went wide in shock. "What was that?"

"Nothing. So, Myles, D, and I were planning on going to dinner before Boomer's. Do you want to come?" He tossed a file on his desk and leaned against it to speak to Bobby.

"As great as that sounds, I think I'll go home and get some rest before dealing with Stern. I'm going to drain all of my energy and sanity trying not to hit him."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."


	5. Chapter Five

Deception

**Chapter Five**

The conversation between the two women was light as they sipped their coffee and dug into their own pieces of apple pie. The smiles on their faces signaled that they were still catching up on the little things; nothing big had been addressed, yet. For that, Danni was grateful.

She had a hard enough time telling people everything about her, but when it was her family, it was damn-near impossible. She knew Sue wouldn't push and that's what she admired most about her. Nor would she come up with a bunch of nonsensical accusations. Danni couldn't help but smile a real smile; something that she hadn't done in a long time.

"What?" Sue asked as she took a bite out of the most delicious apple pie in the world. It was freshly made and topped with a lot of whipped cream. She had passed this diner every day since she moved to DC, yet she never had the inkling to enter it. Now, she knew it would have to be a weekly tradition for her and Danni. Levi sat below her chair, awaiting the smallest of crumbs to fall from Sue's fork, but they never came.

Danni began to sign again as she spoke. It was a habit that she knew she would never lose and she was okay with that. "I was just thinking how great it is to talk to you again. I'd almost forgotten what this was like." She gave a weak smile and lowered her head to avert her gaze. Sue reached out and took her hand in hers, making sure to gently squeeze it for comfort. "I really could have used your help in college and I'm sorry that I never tried to make contact. I was too ashamed, I guess." The flood gates had finally opened and Danni couldn't help but spill everything that she had ever wanted to say.

"What happened? You've changed so much. You don't even seem like the little girl I knew." Sue would admit, only to herself, how happy she was for Danni's transformation. While in DC, she had learned that you can't just have strong beliefs to make a difference. You need a strong voice and a strong will, something that the girl before her had definitely earned.

Danni choked out a short laugh as a lone tear trickled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and hoped that Sue hadn't seen. If she had, Sue didn't say anything. "That's because, I'm not. I, uh, I fell into some hard times while in college. I didn't fall into a bad crowd or anything; I just got in trouble a few times. I never called my parents unless I needed something and that was very rare… it's not like they wanted to talk to me anyway after…" she trailed off and cleared her throat so she could look Sue in the eye. She didn't want to spill everything to her. There was so much that she still had buried that would take some time to surface. Danni was just happy that she had her crying shoulder in her life again.

"But, I've gotten back on my feet. I've got a job tutoring a young girl a few hours a week, so I've got some money coming in. But, my mother still refuses to talk to me." She couldn't help but let a little giggle escape her. "Every chance he gets, Daddy sends me an e-mail telling me how much they still love me and how proud they are; even if they don't talk to me as much as they'd like."

"I'm sorry that you've lost touch with them."

The brunette shook her head. "Don't be. It was my fault anyway." Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Danni's cell phone. She signed "**Phone**" to Sue to make sure she understood. "Yes?" she answered, trying to sound as calm as possible. She was a bit disgruntles. Everyone knew her plans for the morning, so it had better have been an emergency. She listened intently to the person on the other end before she checked her watch and let out a loud groan when she saw the time. "You couldn't have called me about this sooner?"

Sue was following Danni's side of the conversation very carefully, though her cousin was oblivious to it. She just sipped at her coffee with her eyes never blinking as she watched. She chewed on her lower lip as she though of how secretive her cousin had become. She knew that Danni had hid something from her during their serious conversation and she didn't understand why she didn't just come out and say it. It was like she thought Sue would think her to be a bad person if she found out.

The girl had so much bottled inside of her that Sue was surprised she hadn't exploded yet. Perhaps this phone conversation was also something she didn't want Sue to know about, but the blond couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Yeah, I'll be there. You owe me big time," Danni said as she hung up the phone and looked at Sue. "I have to go pick up Caitlyn. Do you mind if we cut this short so I can be there… almost on time?" She asked as she checked her watch again.

Sue shook her head, which delighted her cousin. They left money for their coffee and pie and quickly left the quaint diner. They drove back to the Hoover Building in almost silence until Sue couldn't help but ask, "Who is Caitlyn? Is she your…" she couldn't finish that sentence. She got a bad taste in her mouth when she thought about Danni having a child.

"No. She's a friend's daughter. She's the one I've been tutoring, but I'm also back-up if her parents aren't able to pick her up."

"Oh," was all Sue said as she let out a sigh of relief that Danni hadn't noticed. That was a good thing.

When they got back to the Hoover Building, they gave one another a hug and a promise to meet one another the next day for lunch. Sue watched as Danni rode away on her motorcycle and hugged herself as a hill ran down her spine. She had always imagined that it would be a joyous occasion when she saw Danni again. So, why did she feel as though there was a dark shadow over her heart?


	6. Chapter Six

**Deception**

**Chapter Six**

Night had fallen early upon DC. The streets were empty, which made Bobby feel slightly uneasy as he walked. It was like it was the calm before the storm; the storm being Boomer's. Yet, he continued his stroll through the nice neighborhood he'd found himself in. He didn't know what he was doing there or why he had to do this tonight, but, he had to find that girl. He had to meet her. So, why not try to meet her where he first saw her? Of course, why he hadn't waited for daylight was a better question.

There he was, possibly making a fool of himself. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Of course, he hadn't done any really bold maneuvers on women since before Darcy. This was a good sign—a sign that told him that he was moving on.

He was dazzled by the delightful locale. It made him wonder what she did to live in such a nice place. It was the kind of neighborhood that had police patrolling it all hours of the night for the residents to feel protected. Even he couldn't afford to live here.

He spotted her motorcycle sitting out by the curb, in front of one of the inviting duplexes. As he gave it a closer inspection, he saw how beautiful it really was. It looked brand new or like she didn't get as much use out of it as she wanted to. It was black and it had the same logo on it that her helmet did. But, if she was in a gang, why would she reside in such a pleasing vicinity? That thought quickly flew out the window. Maybe she was just a motorcycle enthusiast who had a thing for plants. There had to be a reason for the logo

"You know, smart people usually keep their hands off of other people's property," said a very soft, yet bold voice. Bobby turned around to see the beautiful biker woman standing before him. Words wouldn't come to him as he looked into her electric blue eyes. Even in the dim light of the street lamps they still sparkled of their own accord. Then she smiled, which made them light up even more and Bobby went completely numb. "Don't I know you?"

He shook his head as he finally removed his hands from the bike. "Uh, we haven't officially met, if that's what you're thinking. I'm Bobby Manning. I couldn't help but take a look. Your bike is amazing."

She nodded as she gave him a once over that he didn't notice. She gave him a bold look of approval that he was completely oblivious to. "Well, Bobby Manning, thank you. I've put a lot of work into it… or should I say my friend has put a lot of work into it." She paused as she looked at his face once more to study his features. "You look so familiar. But, I'm sure I would remember an accent like that." She paused before snapping her fingers in recognition. "I remember you. You're that idiot who decided to lean on your horn at me this morning." She smiled which was a good sign. At least she was angry at him for it.

Bobby felt himself blush and quickly apologized. "Sorry about that; bad morning."

"I could tell and don't worry about it. I've definitely gotten worse from people staring at my butt in traffic." Memories of cat calls and very terrible insults flooded her mind.

Bobby made a confused face that made her laugh as he stuttered to explain. "Uh… that is… I mean… I don't know what I mean."

She laughed again, which made him smile. "You live in DC too, don't you?" He nodded. "I though I'd seen you around town."

He nodded again as he casually slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned against the lamp post. "Yeah, I know the feeling." He was trying to play it as cool as possible, but he felt like he was failing miserably. He was very much aware of his skin getting hot as he felt her staring at him as if she was waiting for him to say something witty and charming. Thankfully, his phone decided to ring, allowing him to avert his gaze from her and allow his flesh to cool. "Manning," he answered.

The girl grinned at him as she watched his nervousness. Guys were so cute when they were nervous, but this one, with his accent, was even more delightful. She wanted to put him out of his misery, but she didn't know how. His smile did something to her that she never thought would happen again. Her stomach did flip-flops when he grinned and her heart swooned when he spoke. She had just met the guy and already, she couldn't get enough of him.

She climbed onto her bike and waited for him to finish his conversation. She wanted to see whether he would get the guts to ask her out or if she would have to do it on her own. When he came back, he had a disgruntled look on his face as if he was about to do something he deeply regretted. "Let me guess, you have to go?" She didn't seem upset by the thought. It was very understandable that he was needed elsewhere.

He nodded as he wiped the corners of his mouth, in case a big of drool had trickled down his chin. "Yeah, sorry. I need to head back to work."

"You a cop?"

He gave her a puzzled look. That was a very bold question to ask. "What?"

"I'm just curious. Plus, I think you should know that I don't date cops." She saw the blush on his cheeks deepen.

"Actually, I work for the FBI." He tried to determine what she was thinking as she nodded, but he couldn't figure out what was going on in there.

She gave a look of approval. "Better. That's something I never would have expected. Well then, you should get going. It was great to meet you, _Agent Manning_." She added an extra emphasis to his title and smiled. She was actually trying to give him a hint about something, but he never caught on. She was about to start her bike when he stopped her.

"Would you like to have dinner tomorrow night? With me?" He didn't know where the question had come from; he just knew he had to ask it before she got away. He was worried at first that she wouldn't accept, but the smile on her full lips told him otherwise.

"I would love to, but there's just one problem."

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Problem? What problem?" All of these wild scenarios raced through his head. She had a boyfriend… she was married with three kids and a dog… she wasn't into men. The one thing he had never thought about was her answer.

She giggled as she looked into his puzzled eyes. He was awfully cute when he looked at her that way. "Usually, it's common to find out the girl's name before you ask her out." She pulled a pen from her back pack. She couldn't help but smile wider as she heard him let out a sigh of relief and reddened even more. "My name is Danielle Talbot, but everyone calls me Danni. Here is my number; please don't hesitate to call." She winked at him as she slipping her helmet on her head and starting the bike's engine before pulling away.


	7. Chapter Seven

Deception

**Chapter Seven**

Boomer's bar was exactly as Tara had described it. Sleazy to the core and more. The patrons were mostly over-sexed college students who were too drunk to know their own names, a few seedy businessmen probably making illegal deals with even worse people, and a few women of the night trying to rope in new clientele. It was definitely Stern's kind of place, Jack concluded.

He and Bobby had decided to meet there to draw less attention to themselves, but when they arrived, it dawned on them that no one would even care. No one respectable would ever set foot in this place.

The bar was set in a fairly good part of town, one surrounded by a large group of very honorable businesses. So why was it the place for such terrible people? Jack shook his head at the thought as he saw Bobby exiting his car and crossing the street to get to him. He saw a smile cross the Aussie's lips and an extra bounce in his step. It could only mean one thing, but he wouldn't push. Bobby would tell him in due time and he couldn't wait for that time to come.

The only thing he told Bobby was to act professional and keep his cool while inside. God knows that a fight breaking out with Stern and his men could spell bad news for the FBI. Bobby nodded and the smile fell from his lips, though the one in his eyes remained. Unfortunately when they entered the bar, even that glint went away. Two men stood in front of them, their arms crossed over their chests. Without a word, they moved aside and let the two suits walk by.

Jack and Bobby were amazed. This place had security, yet they basically were there for show. If they were ever used, the agents didn't know about it.

Jack nudged his partner's arm and motioned his head to show Dimitrius over at a table, sitting by himself and just enjoying his drink. Bobby nodded and recognized Myles in the same fashion. They both made sure their microphones, cameras, and earpieces were situated before they approached Stern.

He was a very handsome man in his early fifties. He had dark hair that was only slightly graying and a body that most young men would kill for. Unfortunately for any woman who cared, he was married. It was amazing; for a man with such a bad reputation, he certainly didn't look it.

They saw that Stern wasn't alone, which is how they'd figured they would find him. A woman kept him company as she leaned against the table and stared at him while she twisted a cherry stem around her tongue. He said something as he slipped her a piece of paper, which she took and sauntered away, not hesitating to give Jack and Bobby a smile as she passed.

The shirt she wore was barely a shirt as it only covered the essentials and the skirt… the skirt left very little to the imagination. Both of them, being men, fought the urge to look and listened to what Sue said in their ears.

"Jack!" they heard Sue exclaim. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, no." He cleared his throat as he pretended to scratch his ear so he could hear her better.

"He said: 'Give this to Tal, she'll know what to do next'," she repeated with an agitated tone in her voice. Jack blushed as he asked who Tal was supposed to be. Tara answered that she didn't know and Jack should probably concentrate more on Stern than the scenery.

Bobby had to stifle a laugh, but Jack had heard. He gave his angry "shut up" look for the third time that day; that was a record. Bobby turned his head away from his friend's angry gaze and let out a short chuckle. His mirth was cut short when his eyes rested on the girl who had been talking to Stern. She was now standing at the bar, talking to a slender brunette who was wearing a tight, low-riding pair of jeans and a red t-shirt with some sort of image on the front. He furrowed his brow in confusion as he spotted something on the brunette's back; it looked like a very familiar tattoo.

He pulled his gaze away and joined Stern and Jack at the table, yet the image didn't leave his mind.

"Well, Agents Hudson and Manning, I'm so glad we could meet." If he was being sarcastic, they couldn't tell. They weren't quite sure if they even wanted to know. They were here for one reason and one reason alone, so the less time they spent with Stern, the happier they would be.

"Let's cut the formalities, Stern," Jack stated as he looked at the detective before him. "You know why we're here; we just want to know how you keep you and your yahoos in line."

While Jack kept a straight face, Stern looked as if he was deeply offended by that comment. "Come on, Agent Hudson, I have good, hardworking people underneath me. They will be nothing less than professional."

"So, who are these "hardworking people"?" Bobby asked, his eyes trying not to stray to the bar where Stern's friend still resided, talking to the brunette.

"Well, you know that this isn't place isn't exactly reputable, so they're around. Jessup and Mitchell are around back, making sure to keep an eye out." Stern saw Bobby give a sneer at the name "Jessup", which the agent didn't try to hide. "What's the matter, Agent Manning?" A dirty smile crept to his face.

Bobby shook his head as he glared in Stern's direction. "Nothing." He knew this was bad already. Of all of Stern's roughnecks, Jessup was the worst. He was the only one Stern had no control over, seeing as though they had worked together for so long. "You just keep _him_ on a short leash."

Stern chuckled but didn't ask what he meant; he didn't need to. The last time Bobby had worked with Jessup, he had come out of it with a black eye and a bloody lip, while Jessup came out unscathed. The detective had made the mistake of offending a woman with his snide remarks and Bobby took it to heart. Unfortunately, Bobby had made the mistake of thinking he would win the fight.

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, DeMarco and Pike are my two lead men on this case. They have the brain and the brawn to deal with Rojas. I still don't see why we have to team up with you suits for this. It's not like we haven't taken down a drug ring before."

"Yeah, well, when we're sure certain elected officials have their hand in it, then it comes to us. It's just not proven yet if the rumors are true. That's why were teaming up," Jack answered as he pulled out his note pad and read over everything he had written down prior to the meeting. "What about your fifth underling? A D. Tal? What will he be doing?"

Stern couldn't help but smile at that question. They really had no clue. He shook his head as a light chuckle escaped him. "I thought you FBI guys were all about information. Tal is my secret weapon. _She_ is a very skilled officer, trained to blend in. She's excellent in surveillance." He stole a glance to the girls at the bar which neither agent seemed to notice. All they had been thinking was that he was still hiding something from them, but what, they weren't sure.

"I think that's it for now," Jack said. "You and your people should come to the Bureau tomorrow morning so we can set up shop. And don't pull anything funny this time. We're not cleaning up your mess again."

"Yes, sir," Stern said with sarcasm dripping from his voice and not watching as they left the table. His eyes had been on the brunette who had turned around as soon as Jack and Bobby passed her. He gave the slightest of nods to her which she returned and followed the suits outside.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Eight**

Bobby and Jack were more than happy to get outside. They each felt, that if they had stayed inside only a moment longer, that they would end up like Stern. They shuddered at the thought. That was a scary notion. "Do you think he's trying to pull a fast one on us?" Bobby asked, turning off his surveillance equipment and pulling it out of his clothes. He would return it tomorrow; all he wanted to do now was to get some sleep.

"It's Stern," Jack answered. "Of course he is. That's why we're doing everything at the Bureau. There'll be too many agents around for him to pull anything."

They both laughed at that idea, but their laughter was cut short by a scream. They hurried to see what was going on, but they found that they weren't needed. Curled up in a ball on the ground was the blond who had been talking to Stern. Her hands were covered her head as if to guard herself from an attack.

A large man stood up against the wall, his hands up by his head and frightened expression on his face. Before him, stood the brunette who had been standing at the bar. Her foot rested on the man's chest as she held him to the wall in a perfect karate kick.

The guy's buddies took one look at Jack and Bobby before they scrambled away in a fit of panic, their friend not too far behind as the woman let him go. She helped the blond to her feet and told her to go inside and talk to the bartender. He would call her a cab and make sure she got home safe. The blond nodded and hurried inside.

Jack and Bobby watched as she shook her head and bent down to pick up her backpack which she had thrown down to assist the girl. She turned and gave a surprised look when her eyes set upon the agents; one of them in particular. "Bobby?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

Bobby glanced at Jack who got the idea and went on his way, telling him that she would see him at the office. "I could probably ask the same thing. This isn't exactly a respectable bar."

She smiled as she got the gist of what he meant. "Work?" she asked. He nodded as an answer. "Enough said. Actually, I was just checking this place out. A friend of mine is looking to buy it and turn it into a dance club. At least it would be better than it is now."

He believed her, though he didn't know why. It was as if he could believe anything she told him. He couldn't help but smile at that thought. "Would you like to go for some coffee?" Sleep was definitely not an option at this point, which he didn't seem to care about. She was the only thing that mattered.

She smiled as a light flush colored her cheeks and nodded. "Sure."

The coffee shop that Bobby had taken her to was very quaint. There weren't too many customers this late at night, but that was what made it all the more intimate. They only spoke a few words to one another since they'd arrived and that had been enough for them. Unfortunately, it wasn't helping when it came to knowing one another.

Bobby was the one who spoke up first. His long fingers were curled around his coffee mug as he stared at her. There was an air about her that told him that she wasn't just any woman; she was something special and he wanted to know everything about her. "So, how long have you been in DC?"

Danni took a sip of her decaffeinated coffee as she thought for a moment. "Only a few months. I used to live in New York, but I needed a change so I just picked up and left."

He chuckled at that thought. She didn't really seem like the type to do that and he told her so. "Uh, not that it's a bad thing." He didn't know what it was about this girl, but everything he said to her seemed to be the wrong thing. He was making her laugh, though. He loved to see her laugh.

"I don't seem to be the type to do a lot of things," she replied taking a sip of her coffee. "So, are you really Australian or is that accent something you use to get girls interested?"

He blushed, but he hid behind his coffee cup so she wouldn't see. "I'm True Blue. Mum's an Aussie and _Dad's_ a Yank. Born and raise here, the accent is just a perk." He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled at his joke. He had put an extra emphasis when he described his father, because he still hadn't reconciled with him; it was something that he probably would never be able to do.

She laughed along with him and never noticed the slight change in his tone. She was too caught up in the rest of him to pay attention to the sound of his voice. "Hm, cute and funny. I think I could get used to you." She scratched her right ear and continued to listen as he began talking about him joining the FBI and how he and Jack became best mates. "He's the bloke from the bar," he informed her in case she didn't know who he was talking about.

"I gathered that," she smiled as a thought kept picking at the back of her mind. It was something that Sue had told her that made her think about the name Jack. Where they the same person? "His last name wouldn't be Hudson, would it?"

He gave her a puzzled glance over his coffee cup. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Her smile widened as it suddenly struck her. She didn't understand why it hadn't hit her before. "Now, I know why you are so familiar. My cousin talks about you, Jack, and the others all the time."

"Your cousin? Who's your cousin?" He was thinking more along the lines of an agent that didn't work alongside the team that often. He never expected who she said.

"Sue Thomas." He had started to take a sip of his coffee, when he'd heard Sue's name. He spit it right out, luckily it hadn't landed anywhere near Danni. It wasn't like she would have noticed, because she was too busy laughing at the face he made. "Are you okay?"

He nodded as he coughed out the rest of the coffee and helped her clean up his mess. "Sue is your cousin? You're the cousin who came to see her today?" She nodded, her smile slightly faltering at the expression on his face. She was expecting him to tell her that there was no way they would be able to see each other again, because he didn't want to date his teammates cousin, or some rubbish like that. She definitely hadn't expected him to say what he did. "Wow… she never said how beautiful you were."

She gave him an incredulous look as the words escaped him. "You think I'm beautiful?"

He nodded as he stared at her in awe. He didn't know what made him say it—he knew he just had to. "I do and I would really love to get to know you better."

Her eyes lit up as she smiled. He still wanted to know her. That was a very good sign. She unconsciously reached up to scratch her right ear once again before she answered. "So would I."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Nine**

They drove in silence to her apartment. She was unusually quiet as her heart pounded in her chest. When Jack had offered to drive her home after they finished up at the Bureau, she didn't even think about saying no. There was something in his eyes that had drawn her to him and she wanted to know why the sudden change in his demeanor.

He had approached her as she exited the van and pulled her to the side so they could talk in private. God knows that Tara would have a field day if she overheard this conversation. She was surprised by his sudden eagerness and figured it had something to do with Bobby. She had seen that extra bounce in his step as well. But, why would Jack want to talk to her about that? It didn't make sense.

"There's something about this case that I don't like, Sue," he began after lightly touching her arm to get her attention. "I'm afraid that Stern or one of his yahoos will do something to jeopardize this case. I feel like it's going to blow up in all of our faces." His voice was sincere, but it also had a shaky tone that she would never notice unless she touched his Adams apple.

"Jack, don't you think that you should talk to D or Garrett about this?"

He nodded, but didn't take his eyes off the road until he looked at her again. "They know how I feel and they understand. I'd just thought I'd let you know." He pulled into a space in front of her apartment building and put the car in park. He turned to her with determination in his heart and eyes. He was going to tell her how he felt, now, before anything went wrong and he'd never have the chance again. "Sue, there's something I've wanted to tell you... for a long time and I don't want you to think me forward, but I need to say it."

Her puzzled expression was her only answer as she looked into his eyes. Her heart was beating rapidly as he stared intently at her as if trying to study her in entirety.

"Sue, I…" he was cut off suddenly by her lips engulfing his. She didn't know what prompted her to do it, she just had. She needed to feel his lips upon hers. She needed to feel his tough, his passion. She needed to feel all of him and more.

Her lips tingled wildly as he pulled his lips from hers for a breath. His hands gently caressed her skin as he pulled her closer. Her skin burned from his touches and a chill ran down her spine as his lips made their way down her chin and neck to reach the soft spot just below her ear.

A light moan escaped her lips which made him smile. It was the most erotic sound in the world and he wanted to hear her make that more. He pulled away and lovingly looked her in the eye. "I don't want to lose you. I love you."

She jerked as the dream came to an end. She lay in the dark and ran her hands up and down her arms. She could still feel his touch, though he hadn't touched her that way since Callahan & Merced. Her lips still ached for more caresses from him and which that it had been for real.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Soon, she was off in dreamland where she found herself in Jack's arms once again. Why couldn't it be real?

* * *

Jack lay awake in bed as thoughts of Sue ran through his mind. He had been having such a wonderful dream about her and he had suddenly woken up before he was satisfied. His lips ached to kiss her and only wished it had been real. Why couldn't she be his? Why could she be in his arm at this very moment? Why did he have to sleep alone yet again?

He let out a loud groan of exasperation at his thoughts. She was a constant in his mind; she had been for a very long time. Bobby was lucky. He didn't have to hide his feelings. He didn't have to pretend that he didn't really care when all he wanted was to take her in his arms and tell her how deeply in love with her he was.

'_Lucky,'_ he thought before he drifted back off to sleep. At least she was still his in his dreams.

* * *

He studied the building as he walked her to her door. He told her that he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew she was safely home. It wasn't that he thought that she couldn't take care of herself; the scene outside the bar reassured him of that. He had asked her how she had learned karate because from the look of her kick, she seemed very skilled.

She explained that she had taken a few classes in college and immediately got hooked. Now, she taught a beginner's class every Saturday at the local Y. It was something she did to help people; it was never for the money, no matter how little she got paid.

"You must love to teach," he suggested as they stopped in front of her door. He leaned against the doorframe and looked down at her beautiful face. He was realizing that there was more to this woman than she let on. He was very eager to discover everything about her. He hadn't felt that way since he started dating Darcy.

She nodded. "I do… Well, this is it. I suppose we should say goodnight." She was saddened by that thought. She really didn't want this night to end. Bobby was such a great guy and if she let him go now, she was afraid that she would never see him again.

"Yeah, I suppose," was all he answered before he scanned her face for any sign of what she wanted him to do. Did she want him to give her a hug; shake her hand; kiss her? A smile crossed his lips at that thought. He had been staring at her lips more than he had any other woman's. He wanted nothing more than to taste her, to feel her energy in his arms. But, they barely knew each other. This didn't even qualify as a first date, seeing as though they only went out for coffee. There was no way she would let him take it too far, which he respected.

She scratched her right ear once again. It was something Bobby had concluded to be a nervous tick and found it very adorable. "Goodnight, Bobby," she said softly. She stood on her tip toes, as he stood a good six inches above her and place the lightest of kisses upon his cheek. "I had fun."

He nodded as he felt his skin sear from where her lips had made contact with his cheek. It was a feeling he loved and wanted more of. She turned to unlock her door and he stopped her. "Danni," he spoke barely above a whisper which sent tingles through her body. She looked up at him with a sultry look, which he found to be very sexy. He gently placed his finger under her chin and moved her lips closer to his.

She was surprised by his gentleness when their lips collided. His were gently grazing hers which sent a warming feeling rush over her body. His hands gently caressed her arms as they traveled to her waist where they remained until they pulled away to breathe.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, hoarsely. "I don't normally do this." His cheeks were flushed, which added a whole new appeal to him.

"Don't be," she reassured him with an equally raspy tone as she ran a hand through his soft brown hair. Her electric blue eyes stared up into his stormy blue ones and they felt a current run through them both. Without warning, his lips came crashing down upon hers, the gentleness being taken over by heated passion. He needed to feel her, to kiss her, to love her and she needed him all the same.

She pulled away for only a second as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. She grasped the jacket of his suit and pulled him inside, their lips connected once again.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Ten**

They tumbled onto the couch, Bobby being more than cautious about squashing her as he fell on top of Danni. Their kiss broke as they laughed at their decent. He lifted himself from her as they turned the other way. Danni now lay atop him, which they both found to be much more comfortable and enjoyable. Their eyes connected once again and everything else was forgotten.

Their lips brushed together again. With him underneath her, he found it much easier for his hands to roam her slender form. He made sure to pay special attention to her soft curves, while she laid soft kisses upon his Adam's apple, eliciting a moan from deep inside of him.

She found the sound invigorating and wanted to hear it again, so she repeated her last move. She was happy when her wish came true. She gave an erotic chuckle and did it once more.

"That's not nice," he finally said after he figured out what she was up to. So, he decided payback would be sweet. As their lips met once again, his rough hands found their way underneath her shirt and slowly made their way up her spine. She gave a shiver, which he smiled at as he felt victorious. He sensually raked his fingernails over her skin, stopping only at the barrier her brazier created. She let a loud, pleasurable groan escape her as his hands stopped where they did.

"Now, who's the tease?" she asked hoarsely. He only smiled at his response as he gently lifted the shirt from her body. Another moan evaded her as his fingers returned to her bare, burning flesh.

He mimicked her moan as her hands ran through his soft brown hair. He loved the feel of her against him, the way she kissed him, the sounds she made; it was intoxicating. He loved how willing she was to be with him… him, a stranger; someone she had only met a few hours before. What was he doing? This wasn't him; he just couldn't get enough.

"Bobby," Danni passionately groaned as she tried to remove his jacket and undo his tie. Unfortunately, it wasn't so easy to do in this position, but he sat up slightly to remove both. The articles of clothing were thrown to the floor as she continued with the buttons of his dress shirt.

He began laying gentle kisses along her neck and bare shoulders, which made her arch into him. His hands glided from her hips to her red-colored bra that encased her modest bosom. His touch made her skin tingle and she gave a shudder of pleasure. Another plaint escaped her from the feel of his hands upon her chest.

She gently teased him by playing with his chest hair, which was surprisingly soft. He only smiled to made sure she knew hoe he felt. She smiled back before their lips connected once more for a brief second. She then trailed light kisses down his chin, over his Adam's apple, and down the exposed portion of his chest.

Danni's mind was racing with images of her and Bobby moving this display to her bedroom, where they would be more comfortable; of course, she was having fun on the couch.

Their breathing was shallow as she stood up from the couch, his hand in hers. She pulled him to his feet, which he become puzzled about. "I think we should move this to a more… comfortable location." She raised an eyebrow as if asking if he agreed. His smile was the only answer he gave before he got to his feet.

Unfortunately, it was very hard to move those fifteen or twenty feet to her bedroom. As she began to lead him, he came up from behind her and gently caressed her flat, bare stomach, his fingers tickling her skin. She leaned into him as she turned her head to kiss him once more. His hands gradually moved higher to cup her bosom and moved to unhook its covering, but were interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

She let out a groan of disappointment and went to answer it before he pulled her back to him. "Ignore it." Though he was eager to continue, something inside of him told him that it was probably a good thing that they were interrupted. He didn't want her to think badly of him if they did something they weren't ready for.

As much as she wanted to ignore it, she knew she couldn't. "I can't. It might be important." She grumbled as she went over to the evil distraction and answered it. "Yeah?" She listened for only a split second. "Hold on." She lowered the phone and looked Bobby with an apologetic stare.

He nodded in understanding and began to gather his clothes. He buttoned up his shirt before walking up to her and looking deep into her eyes. "It's for the better," he reassured her. "Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?"

A smile graced her aggravated lips as she nodded. "Yes… as long as your work doesn't interfere." She was joking, but she was partly serious. She wanted to spend more time with Bobby and not to just finish what they had started. She found him to be so interesting. He was the first man in a long time that she could see herself with after the first date.

"I promise. G'night, luv," he said as he placed a gentle kiss upon her nose before letting himself out.

She waited a moment longer to make sure he had really gone before she held the phone to her ear again. "This had better be good," she said darkly.

"Ooh, a bit deprived, aren't we?" A cynical voice asked on the other end.

"What do you want?" She wasn't going to dignify his question with an answer; he didn't deserve one.

"He's not very happy with you. You removed your microphone."

"I had to! He would have found it on me." She didn't mean it like it sounded, but she knew he would take it the wrong way anyway. That was the whole reason why she had kept scratching her ear at the coffee shop. Every time he would say something to her, she had to pretend to scratch her ear to hear him better.

"I didn't think the FBI looked that closely into _anything_. You must really have a gift to rope him in so quickly." He gave a chuckle, considering her was the only one who found it amusing. He cleared his throat when he realized that he was the only one laughing. "You shouldn't have removed it. We need all we can get on these agents to get passed them. You're still part of this, aren't you?"

She didn't have to think to answer that question. "Yes. I want this to go down as much as any of you, but what me and _the fed_ talked about what none of your business." She didn't want to mention Bobby's name; it would show that she was getting in too deep and she didn't want anyone to know that. "I had every right to turn the damn thing off." She paused as she drew in a breath. Anger really took a lot out of her. "If he doesn't like it, then he can find someone else." She closed her phone in a huff and tossed it onto the sofa where she stared at it with contempt.

But, she had no right to be angry. She had gone against a direct order and deserved to be reprimanded for it. Of course, on the other hand, what happened between her and Bobby was no one else's business. It was something private that they had both been willing to share.

But, why had she been so willing? She only knew very little about him and she was ready to hop into bed with him. With her last boyfriend, it had taken months for that step to occur. So, why was Bobby different? Was it the accent? Or did she really feel a connection to him?

She felt so conflicted. Bobby was an amazing person, inside and out; not to mention a damn good kisser. But, she also had a job to do. She couldn't let the passion she felt for him cloud her mind and impair her judgment. It was going to be very hard to resist him.

* * *

He stared up at her front window from the street. His lips continued to tingle and his flesh still burned, but he only ignored hose feelings. It was whatever else he was feeling that made him continue to stand there. The fact that she didn't try to pull away boggled his brain. Of course, she had been just as forward as he'd been, but still.

He felt empty at this point. Not because of her choosing the phone over him, though he'd felt disappointed by her decision. It was because he had no one to go home to. He'd rather he stayed and just held her as she slept, gave her a good morning kiss when she awoke, or even just to have her with him. He wasn't getting any younger and he was getting tired of being a bachelor, though he would admit that to no one.

A smile crept to his lips as he finally climbed into his car. Tomorrow, he had a plan and he would make sure it was a good day for both of them.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Eleven**

She had been having the most wonderful dreams about Bobby and the continuation of what had been left in the air last night. All night, his touch lingered on her skin, causing her to have sweet reveries about the Aussie hunk. Today would be the second day they had known each other, yet she couldn't get enough of him. She wanted him to always be around her. She wanted that invigorating scent and his touch to be available at her ever beck and call. There was something different about this one, she could tell. But, that was what frightened her.

An incessant buzzing noise awoke her from her illusions. She reached out from underneath her light blue blanket to turn off her alarm, but the sound wouldn't go away. It was then that she realized that someone was at the door. She glanced at the clock and grumbled under her breath. Why would someone be at her door at seven in the morning?

She got out of bed and padded slowly to the door. A loud yawn escaped her as she scratched her stomach through the thin fabric of her white, spaghetti-strapped tank top she wore with its pair of matching shorts.

She didn't bother to look through the peephole, because she didn't really care who was out there. All she wanted was for the buzzing to cease so she could go back to sleep and have more dreams about Bobby. She paused at that though and a smile crossed her lips. He was definitely different than the idiots she usually dated.

She mussed up her hair slightly so she could get it to cooperate, though she was having a lot of trouble with it. She tied it up with the hair tie on her wrist, though she wasn't sure how it got there and opened the door.

She blinked quite a few times to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. At first, she thought she was dreaming again, because Bobby seemed to be at her door. But, he was actually there. She furrowed her brow as she stared at the beautiful bouquet of multi-colored roses that were being offered to her. She couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Bobby's face as he held them out to her. His jaw was slack as he saw her in her pajamas, but he couldn't help thinking she was beautiful when she woke up.

"What's this?" She asked as she took the bouquet from him. She held the flowers to her nose and breathed in their scents.

He shook his head to clear it as he tried to remember how to speak. "Uh, your wake-up call?" he offered innocently.

She gave him a disgruntled look as she grabbed his watch and looked at the time. "Do you see that?" She showed him. "My wake-up call isn't for two more hours. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to bed." She was seriously about to close the door on him, until she saw that he wasn't about to budge. She let out a heavy sigh and leaned on one him to look at him. "What, Bobby? What else do you want? You kept me up very late, last night and Danni needs her beauty sleep."

He gave a chuckle as he took her hand in his. "I just wanted to give you a good morning kiss, luv," he replied with a smirk as he pulled her to him and engulfed her lips with his own. She let out a surprised squeal, but it was the only sound made, besides the moans they made into one another's mouths.

He ran his tongue across her willing lips as she opened them and allowed him access. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pushed her mouth deeper into his. His hands found their way to her waist and stayed there. They continued on until they couldn't breathe anymore.

"Wow," she giggled as he leaned his forehead upon hers so he could stare into her amazing eyes. "I could definitely get used to mornings like this."

Bobby wiggled his eyebrows as he smiled. "Well, then, I might be able to arrange that." He leaned in to kiss her once more and didn't hesitate to pull her closer so that he could explore her mouth even better.

* * *

If yesterday was just a taste of Bobby's good mood, Jack wondered what his friend would be doing today. That stupid grin had gotten annoying; what was next, whistling? He shuddered at the thought as he made sure he had everything set up in Conference Room Four. They were going to handle the meeting with Stern's team in here, so that there would be much more room for all of them, plus so there would at least be some room between Bobby and Jessup. The last thing they needed was a fight breaking out.

He set up the table and made sure every chair had a file and waited for everyone to file in. When the door opened, he's expected it to be Bobby, but Levi's head poked inside and Sue followed. She gave a smile and greeted him.

"You're here early. You know, Lucy said she would set everything up."

He nodded. "I know. I just wanted to make sure everything was right. This is a very important case and we can't afford to slip up." He was only partially telling the truth and she could tell. She knew he wasn't really a morning person, yet he was there before anyone else and he had everything set up. In truth, he didn't want to stay in bed any longer. All that caused him were images of Sue in his arms after a night of being together and he couldn't think that way. They were just friends and that was all; he couldn't let his feelings jeopardize any of this.

It just didn't make him feel comforted to know that the woman he loved was off on her own somewhere without him there to hold her. He wanted Sue to be his, but how was he to do that without putting everything at stake?

"Did Tara find anything on Tal?" She took a seat next to him at the end of the table and gave him a supportive smile. She did it to make sure she caught everything he said and also so that she could be closer to him. Her heart pounded as he placed his hand over hers, but she didn't pull away. She couldn't pull away. She needed his hand there as much as he did.

"No. There are about two dozen women at Metro who Tal could be. She's the only profile we don't have, so I guess we'll just have to wing it when she arrives." As much as he despised that fact, he knew that was all that they could do.

"What if she doesn't?" She asked.

He smiled incredulously at her. "You know, that's a good way to put a damper on my ego," he joked, flashing a smile.

"Well, at least something will deflate that big head of yours," she retorted. "Seriously, though. What if Stern doesn't want any of us to know who she is and tells her not to come? He did say that she's excellent at surveillance, what if she goes in undercover and we can't know her real identity?"

He understood her reasoning for the question, but he was very confident that all of Stern's team would show. "Tal had to come to this meeting; otherwise the FBI won't work with her." Of course, his ego could have been inflating again to make him so sure. Stern was, after all, unpredictable. There was no telling what might happen. "Let's just wait and see what happens," he concluded.

She got the gist of his reasoning. Of course, she really would have liked to know what went on the last time Jack worked with Stern. There had to be a reason why he didn't like the detective. She was about to ask him, when Bobby entered the conference room as if floating on air. Sue felt Jack finally pull his hand away, but felt Bobby wouldn't have noticed one way or another.

"It is a wonderful day, isn't it?" The Aussie asked; that cheesy grin returning.

Jack was ready to bolt if Bobby started whistling, but luckily, it never came. Sue looked from one man to the other, until she focused on Jack with a puzzled expression. "He met that girl he was talking about yesterday." He paused as he glanced at his friend who was pouring himself a cup of coffee and gave a chuckle. "I think he's in love."

Luckily, Bobby was a professional and by the time the meeting started, he set a straight face and was back to his normal self. Although, it didn't stop him from talking Jack's ear off about her. Jack wasn't sure he ever wanted to know so much about one of Bobby's girlfriends, but he was happy for him in the end.

It still hadn't been revealed to Sue who Bobby's new girl actually was. She only caught on how wonderful she was. It had been a pity too, considering she had been planning on setting him up on a blind date with her cousin. _'Oh well, you snooze, you lose,'_ she told herself.

Also, it was too bad she didn't even have to think about it. Bobby wanted to tell Sue as soon as he saw her, but Danni thought it would be better if she told Sue first. She was going to do it at lunch today, after which Bobby would appear and "surprise" them. Hopefully, everything went according to plan.

As the meeting commenced, Bobby wouldn't help but scan the faces of the five Metro cops who sat on the opposite side of the table. To the FBI team's dislike, Tal decided against joining the meeting. Apparently, she was off doing what she was supposed to. Stern wore a very cocky smile as he relayed that message. No one was going to tell him how to run his team and he wanted pretty-pot Jack Hudson to know that. He had a bone to pick with her anyway, so she would be filled in afterward.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twelve**

Danni sat at a table in the corner and spoke in hushed, but very forceful, tones into her cell phone. She wasn't exactly happy with whoever she was speaking to and it was obvious that they weren't very happy with her either. She tried to interrupt the man to get a word in, but he wasn't done yelling at her.

"You are just as much a part of this as any of us; you have _no_ right to do it. You could have compromised everything by acting of your own accord. I don't care about your personal relationship, honestly, I don't. But, when it comes to your _job_, you know that you have to follow orders!" He took a breath and was ready to continue, until she interrupted him.

"I _would_ have compromised everything if he _would_ have found the wire on me. He's not as stupid as you may think. I was afraid he would have caught on and I did what was necessary. If you want to join the others in their line of reasoning, then _count me out_." She was ready to say more if he had the guts to argue against her. She really hadn't expected him to laugh.

"And that's why you are on my team. I like that you can stand up for what you think is right. I don't like the fact that he's a fed, but I know you and you are _the best_."

She grinned as she glanced at the door. Sue stood there with Levi by her side as she scanned the diner for Danielle. "That's good to hear. Now, let me do my job and leave me alone," with that, she hung up her phone and waved Sue over. She gave her cousin a hug and made sure to give Levi a pat on the head.

"I hope we weren't interrupting anything important," Sue asked, pointing to the cell phone that still sat on the table top.

"Don't worry. It was nothing. Someone just had to get a little reassurance." She paused as a smile crept to her lips; it happened every time Bobby popped into her mind and his face was definitely floating there among everything else. "So, do you remember when I said how hard it was to find a great guy these days?" Sue nodded as she looked between her cousin and the menu as she decided what to order. "I met someone." She waited to see Sue's enthusiastic smile, which appeared instantly.

"You're lucky. You haven't even been in DC that long. What is he like? What does he do? What's his name?" Sue felt that she was beginning to act more like Lucy than herself at this point, but she didn't care. She had heard so much about Danni's jerk of an ex-boyfriend and hoped that a much better man would come along. Who knew it would happen so soon?"

"He's very nice and sweet; he's the kind of guy who just cares about everyone before himself. He's very handsome; he's got the most amazing blue eyes and the most remarkable dimples I've ever seen. We went out for coffee last night and we have a dinner date tonight. I swear he's the kind of guy you could just talk to for hours." She gave a smile. By the description, this man reminded her of Jack. Danni was so lucky to find someone like that. "He sort of reminds me of that Agent Hudson you told me so much about."

Sue's cheeks turned a deep crimson and tried to hide behind her menu so she could just disappear and not have to reply to that. "Did I really say all of that about Jack?" It's not that it wasn't true; Jack was all those things and more.

"I think there was more to it, but those were the basics… You said you really loved his character and his willingness to grow…" she trailed off as something occurred to her. "You're in love with him, aren't you?" She only asked to see Sue's reaction. She had known for a long time how Sue felt about Jack Hudson; she just liked to tease her.

By the look on Sue's face, she was completely embarrassed by that query. If only Jack really knew how she felt. She tried to reprimand her cousin for asking such a question, but the words never escaped her.

Danni gave a chuckle and a look of reassurance. "I'm guessing he's blind as a bat?" Sue just nodded as her cheeks began to return to normal. "Understandable."

"So, who is this _wonderful_ man of yours?" The blond was surprised that she found her voice; she needed to make sure she wouldn't be caught off guard again. The only way to do that was to change the subject. "What's his name?"

It was Danni's turn to blush as she saw the handsome Aussie flash a smile at her from the door, which Sue was completely oblivious to. He gave her a wink which melted her heart. Then she realized she was going too slowly in her revealing. She had hoped to make known whom it was before Bobby arrived. But, maybe it would be easier this way. "Actually, he's right over there." She pointed to the door and Sue followed her finger.

The blonde's jaw dropped at the sight of Bobby. She turned back to Danni to make sure she was seeing correctly and the brunette just nodded. Again, Sue was speechless. "How?" was the only word that escaped her.

"It's a long story, Sheila," Bobby said as he pulled Danni into a one-shouldered embrace. "And unfortunately, I can't stay to help fill you in. I only popped in to say hello." He turned toward Danni and looked into her eyes. "I'll pick you up at seven?" She nodded. "Grouse. See you yewse," with that said, he left the two girls to their lunch.

"Did you understand any of that?" Sue asked, through she was used to Bobby's Australian slang, she was sure Danni was.

"Not a word, but I'm picking it up here and there." They shared a giggle before they ordered their food and the whole story was revealed.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Thirteen**

They walked side-by-side as they entered the park. Usually, this was a happy time for the both of them, because they could let loose and have some fun. Unfortunately, Sue wasn't going to have fun tonight. She took a seat on an empty bench and let Levi run off some steam. She knew he hated to be cooped up inside all day, but she also knew he loved his job. Too bad there wasn't more fun to be had during the workday.

She sighed heavily as she watched her companion wrestle with another golden lab. A dog's life was so easy. They could make friends easily and they could fall in love without any restraints. Nor were they judged if they were different from one another. _'If only the world were ruled by dogs,'_ she thought to herself with a chuckle.

She was too wrapped up with her thoughts to pay attention to the man who sat down next to her. Her eyes were so focused on Levi and his playmate that she almost jumped when the man touched her arm. She gave him a shocked look, then smiled as he handed her a cup of coffee. She gratefully accepted it and just took it in her hands.

"Looks like Levi's found a new friend," he chuckled.

She nodded. "Her name is Camille. She's had her eye on him for quite some time." She gave a little chuckle of her own before she found herself to be staring into the man's gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. "What are you doing here?"

He gave a small smirk as he stared into her hazel eyes. He wanted to say so much to her, but he was too chicken to blurt it out. If only things were different; if only they weren't such close friends; if only they didn't work together. They were things so complicated for them? They would be perfect together. Unfortunately, work and exes always seemed to find a way to interrupt their special moments. He cleared his throat as he made his eyes look somewhere else. He could stare into them for hours, but sooner or later, she would want an answer. "Well, I figured that you'd take Levi cut for his walk and I was wondering if you would like to grab a bite to eat."

He cheeks lightly tinted at the question as memories of her conversation with Danni flooded her mind. Why was it so hard to tell the man how she felt? Despite that question, she agreed.

* * *

She was a vision in midnight blue as she walked out into the street to greet her date. The dress fit her form very nicely without showing too much skin. It consisted of short sleeves and a shallow neckline that accented her toned arms and her lightly bronzed skin. The skirt hung to just above her knees with a slit that ran up her left thigh. Her long, dark hair was all pulled up, except for a few curly tendrils that framed her face.

"Wow!" was all Bobby managed to say before going into Australian-mode. "You scrub up well." He'd meant it as a compliment, but she wasn't up to date on Australian slang.

"What?" She gave a chuckle as she saw the embarrassed expression on his face.

"You look great," he reiterated.

"Oh, thank you." It was her turn to blush. She never did take compliments all that well and Bobby was willing to dish them out at every turn.

"You'll catch on. I hardly know when I do it anymore." He flashed his amazing smile and held open the car door for her. She climbed in and he was even nice enough to close the door for her, making sure not to close it on his tie, which he almost did.

* * *

They sat in the practically empty diner and just talked about nothing; t was like none of their feelings could get in the way if they did that. It wasn't like that topic wasn't on their minds; it was. They just enjoyed their so much more right now.

The sounds of laughter relaxed them, but only to a point. They couldn't keep lying to themselves or to each other about this. Something needed to come out in the open before either of them burst from the tension.

"Sue… there's something I've wanted to say to you for a while and I know this might not be the best time, but I don't care." He took her hands into his and gave them both gentle squeezes. She furrowed her brow in confusion, but said nothing as she waited for him to admit his feelings. "Sue, I…" He cut himself off and closed his eyes in frustration. "_Phone_," he signed to her as he answered it. "Hudson." It was Myles and he seemed to be in a very foul mood, which seemed to put Jack in a foul mood. "They what? Hold on, Myles. Sue and I'll be there." He paused as Myles inquired about Bobby. "Let's just wait before we call Bobby. There's no point in ruining his date if we don't have to." With a sigh, he closed his phone and looked at Sue.

She seemed to understand what was going on, though she wasn't exactly sure what the conversation was about. She gave him a look that showed that she was ready to go. They shared a nod and left.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Fourteen**

Metro PD was buzzing with life as officers rushed around the building to get their cases worked. Neither Sue nor Jack paid attention to the looks they were getting as they passed by and looked for Stern's office. That man had a lot of explaining to do.

Jack had explained the situation to her in the car on the way over. Apparently, Stern and his team were going what they did best; worked of their own accord. Jack was furious. He was to know about all take-downs before they were executed. Of course, his orders had been ignored and now this was where they ended up.

He entered Stern's office without knocking, a raging fire in his eyes. How could Stern go behind his back like that? "You've got a lot of nerve," he stated as he rushed in. Sue remained in the doorway and acted as though she wasn't there. When Jack got into one of his moods, she knew very well to look out. "You were give _specific_ orders to report to either me or Agent Gans when Rojas was involved."

Stern grinned as he leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows upon his large, oak desk. "And I made sure that you knew, Agent Hudson, that I ran my own team on my own terms and no _pretty-boy_, tough guy is going to tell me what to do." Jack looked at the man before him with rage. His fists were clenched and he looked like he was ready to punch him if given the opportunity. No one would convict him. "Besides, Jessup just happened to wander upon the drop. He's the one who made the bust. He was smart enough to examine the scene closely."

"Are you implying something, _Detective_?" His knuckles were now turning white as he stressed the word "detective" to show that Jack was, in fact, higher up than the policeman.

Stern's smile widened. "Not at all, Agent Hudson. I am only stating that my man was actually smarter than you when it came to this case."

Jack's fists were so eager to hit this man that they twitched in anticipation, but he forced them to relax and calmed himself before he continued. "I would like my team to interrogate Rojas… without any of your underlings in the way. We are still joined in this case together and we will finish it together." Stern only gave a nod of approval before Jack pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Sue knew who he was calling and that person wasn't going to like it.

* * *

They danced slowly in the romantic ambiance of the romantic setting of the bistro. Candles provided the only light, but it also gave a certain something for them to always remember. Her head lay on his shoulder, as they quietly continued whatever conversation they were now holding. They had talked so much tonight that they felt as though they were old friends. No one would ever suspect that this was their first date. They were acting as though they were in love. But, that was silly, wasn't it?

Danni let a contented sigh escape her as she moved her head into the crook of his neck. She felt so comforted in his arms and would be satisfied if she could stay there forever. But, that would never be the case, would it? _'Deceit!'_ a tiny voice in the back of her head screamed at her, but she ignored it. Nothing would ruin this perfect moment.

Well, almost nothing.

He let out a loud groan of frustration as they heard his cell phone ringing. He had meant to turn it off, but he must have forgotten. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the number. "It's Jack," he murmured as he swore under his breath. He was having such a wonderful time; of course work had to get in the way!

She pulled away from him and gave him a disappointed look. "Bobby, you promised."

"I know. Jack knows not to call me unless it's important." He didn't really want to answer it, but he knew he had to. "I'll make it up to you, luv." She only rolled her eyes and let him answer it. "Jack? What is it?" He tried to hide his frustration, but a few traces of it leaked out. Jack didn't seem to notice because of his own foul mood and quickly filling the Aussie in. Bobby ended up becoming more upset, but he still didn't want to leave Danni and have her be angry at him. "Are you sure you need me to be there?"

"Bobby, I wouldn't ask unless I did. Besides, it's Rojas; I want to here for this," Jack answered.

Bobby closed his eyes and let a heavy sigh escape his lips. "Okay. I'll be there." He hung up his phone and turned to Danni. Luckily, she didn't seem angry; just aggravated. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

She nodded. "I suppose I should have expected this. I won't deny that I'm not hurt by it, but I understand. I suppose I have to if I'm going to continued dating you." She gave a little smirk at the side of her mouth, with he found to be very adorable.

He didn't expect what she had said, but he couldn't help but smile because of it. "So, does that mean I can expect to see you again?"

She looked at him as if he was crazy. "That's a very stupid question. You're too good of a kisser to dump just yet," she quipped.

He couldn't believe she had just said that, but as a response, he took her in his arms and stared down at her. "I suppose that could work for me." He then leaned down and placed a light kiss upon her lips.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Fifteen**

For a man with such a terrible reputation, Rojas was a very handsome man. He was older, probably around the same age as Stern, however old he was. He seemed more distinguished and learned than he actually was. He was more of a smooth-talker than anything else. Yet, he didn't seem discouraged by his arrest; he even had a smile on his face.

Sue saw how calm he was as he sat in the interrogation room and how he answered Jack and Bobby's questions in the same manner. Either he was a very good actor, or he wasn't the man they were looking for.

"What do you think?" D asked when she was able to tear her gaze away.

Her brow was furrowed in confusion as she glanced between her supervising officer and Rojas. It was too hard to ignore the satisfied smile the perpetrator wore. "He seems to be telling the truth. I've never seen a guilty man act like this."

"I was afraid of that," D replied.

"Is it possible that we've got the wrong man?"

He considered that question for a moment as he thought of the possibilities. "Even if Rojas is as high up as a Drug Lord and he is responsible for the deal that went down, we don't have all the evidence we need against him. He could be out on the streets by tomorrow." He absolutely hated that idea. Another piece of scum like Rojas out there was just what they were trying to prevent.

"What if he wasn't the lead man on the deal? What if someone else was calling the shots?"

"We'd have to find the other man, first off, and it doesn't seem like Rojas will be talking anytime soon. Good thinking. I'll call Myles and get him and Tara to look up any of his accomplices. If he doesn't talk, maybe we can get one of them to do it."

Sue only gave a smile as an answer and went back to watching Bobby and Jack do their thing. They were both now frustrated by all of the questions and were just waiting for their suspect to say anything relevant to the case. Rojas wouldn't talk, Sue knew. The only way to find the other man was to dig deep. Another sleepless night was rearing its ugly head.

* * *

Midnight had come and gone all too quickly as the hours ticked by with nothing new to show for it. Rojas would be released in a few hours and they needed something to prove that he was part of it. Yet, everything relevant turned up in a dead end. Myles and Bobby had both gone to the crime scene and they still weren't back.

"I'm glad Stern can sleep happily at home," Jack said as he hung up the phone. "His wife answered the phone and told me to call him in the morning, unless it was urgent."

Tara couldn't stifle her laughter, because she was too tried; as was everyone else. "She sounds like my grandmother." She yawned loudly, which made Sue and Levi both do the same. "Sorry," she apologized as she began getting frustrated with whatever she was working on.

"What's up, Tara?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. I just had this inkling to look up a file on Metro's server; I was hoping it would lead up to Tal's identity."

"And?" Sue asked.

"It's gotta be her file. The problem is that it's blocked from every way in I can think of right now. They certainly don't want people to know who she is." She ran a tired hand through her hand and let out a loud groan.

"It's okay. Fortunately or unfortunately right now, I haven't figured out which, Tal is not a top priority, but keep me posted if you find a way in." She only nodded as an answer and went back to her screen. It was all she was able to work on, now. When Bobby and Myles got back, then she could worry about Rojas.

'_Speak of the devils,'_ Tara thought as the other two entered the bullpen. They both looked as exhausted as everyone else, but they seemed to have better news.

"There definitely was a second man," Bobby announced. "According to the bartender, Rojas had company earlier tonight. He wasn't able to see who he was, though."

"Fortunately," Myles piped up, "we were given last night's security tapes. But, whether or not they will lead us anywhere is pretty doubtful. Stern told us that Jessup found it in the back alley. That place is shrouded in darkness, except for one solitary spot. I don't think the tapes are going to help very much because of how dark it was."

"Was Jessup wearing a wire when he went in?" Sue asked as she tried to stifle a yawn, but failed.

Jack shook his head. "Not that we know of, no. So, unless that little bit of information was witheld from us, the tapes are our best option… we've only got a few hours, so use that time wisely." Those were the only instructions he needed to give. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do and despite their fatigue they went straight to work on it. He was about to join them, until he paused and looked around. They all worked so well together. It was like a well-oiled machine. He didn't know what Stern's idea of a team was, but this was Jack's. Friends working together for a great cause, how else would you describe a team?

He smiled to himself as he joined Sue at the television. He was going to help her watch the tapes, while Bobby, Tara, and Myles worked together on finding Rojas' accomplices. Time was running out.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Sixteen**

With gloom running through him, he walked up the stairs to the apartment. Everything was weighing heavy on him right now. Rojas was let go; they hadn't found any evidence against him or the other man. This put a damper on everyone in the unit. He was their biggest catch, yet they had to throw him back. It was so depressing.

Bobby didn't even want to go home. He had driven around for a bit and somehow ended up at Danni's apartment. Maybe he just needed some comfort and thought it would be the best place to go. She wouldn't be able to give him answers, but at least he wouldn't be alone.

As he got closer to her door, he heard her yelling about something. This had alerted his Special Agent instincts and put his hand on his gun in case there was trouble. He rested his back against the wall as he listened to her through her slightly opened door. Why it was opened, he didn't know, but once he heard her speak, he couldn't stop.

"I don't believe this! How could this happen?" She exclaimed in a huff.

He wasn't sure what she was talking about and only wished that he knew who she was talking to and what they were talking about.

"You had him and you let him slip through your fingers. This is big! He's not going to rest until he gets what he wants." She paused as she listened. "Then, you should have let me handle it. I knew he was going to screw this up! So did you! And you still let him go through with it. You should have called me about this; I would have dropped everything to have been there."

At first, Bobby had believed that she was just talking about a friend's problem, like most women do, but now he wasn't so sure. This was definitely bigger than her best friend getting hurt by some jerk of a man.

"Yeah, well, you should know by now that he can't be trusted, he just charges in like a bull and doesn't think about the consequences. I've been dreaming about this since I first heard about it and he just does whatever the hell he pleases!" She let out a loud groan, before quickly going back to the conversation. "I want to meet with them. It's all screwed up anyway, so I want to meet with them."

Hearing this side of the conversation was making Bobby's head spin. This was a whole side of her that he didn't know existed. All this time he thought she was perfect for him, but she was keeping things from him. She'd probably even lied to him. He had been feeling a strong connection to her, but which version of her was it? He really couldn't handle this right now. He pushed off of the wall and went to walk away when the door opened and she came walking out. They almost collided, but stopped before they could.

"Bobby, what are you doing here?" A pink tint filled her cheeks in hopes that he hadn't heard that conversation.

He wasn't sure what to say at first. He wanted to ask her what all of that was about, but he decided against it and said the original reason why he showed up. "I was hoping we could talk. I've had a really rough night and I just really need to talk to someone." He hadn't noticed her outfit before. She was wearing a light blue tank top and a pair of running shorts. "If you're busy, I can just go."

She saw his dismayed demeanor and felt bad for him. He had come all this way anyway; she just couldn't turn him away. She lightly grasped his wrist and made him turn to face her. "No. Don't go. My run can wait. Come in." She held the door open for him and then closed it when they were both inside. He took a seat on the couch and rested his elbows upon his knees. He rubbed his face with his hands and left it in their comfort. She felt bad for him; he really was upset about something. It was making her problem so trivial. "What's wrong?" She sat down next to him. Her hands gently ran through his hair and lower until she felt the knots in his neck and shoulders. They went quickly to work on the tension, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

"Work," he said simple as he felt his shoulders beginning to relax.

Her eyes seemed to light up at the subject. Bobby rarely talked about work around her, mostly because it was all confidential, she knew. So, this was a huge step forward. "What happened?"

"I've been working on this huge case, lately. We've even had to team up with Metro PD because of it." He gave a snarling look at the mention of Metro. "For one thing, one member of their team refuses to cooperate with us; we've never actually met her."

"Well, I'm sure there's a good reason for that." She was trying to see the case from his point of view, but she had to throw in her two cents. There actually might have been a good reason for it, whether or not that would be discovered was up to them.

"Yeah, well, none of us are exactly happy with it. We don't even have contact with her. All of it is done through Stern and he's as dirty as they come." Either she didn't seem to like that or she just pushed a little too hard on his muscles. Whichever it was, she seemed to hit something wrong and made Bobby cry out in pain. "Ow!"

"Sorry," she apologized as she placed a tender kiss upon his neck. "So, what's gotten you so worked up? Tension like this isn't very good for you."

A small chuckle escaped him as she went into caring-girlfriend mode, but quickly went back to his story. "When Jack called me last night, he told me that one of the cops caught the guy we've been looking for. Unfortunately, when we got to the station, he wouldn't talk. He said he wasn't at fault and he was let go this morning. I haven't slept all night because of this. I'm exhausted, but I didn't want to go home. I feel like I don't deserve to."

"Well, then, it's a good thing you came here," she said as she checked her watch. It was a little bit after noon and she still had things to do. "I have to run off and do a few things today, but when I get home, how about I cook you dinner and maybe we can finish our date?" She placed a light kiss upon the side of his neck. "You can sleep in my bed; it's much more comfortable than the couch." She wiggled her eyebrows which he saw out of the corner of his eye.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Sounds great." He wasn't going to go back to the bullpen today; Jack wouldn't allow him. He needed his sleep and the only way to do that was to have the rest of the day off. As much as Bobby didn't like it, he complied.

She smiled and placed another light kiss on his cheek. "Grouse," she replied with a smile.

* * *

The floor was always busy this time of day. Phones were ringing here and there and people were rushing back and forth. She didn't pay any attention to any of it as she headed toward her destination. His office was offset from the usual hustle and bustle, which he seemed to like. She didn't know if she would be able to handle it if she ever made it to his position. She liked the noise and the people rushing around her; it made her feel like she was actually getting something done.

Of course, Stern didn't need to know that. He did things his own way and they usually turned up in positive outcomes.

She passed her desk and looked at the files that sat there. Nothing new was always good news. The files on her desk were for the FBI agents. They weren't filled with all of the classified material that she needed, but she'd gotten enough info out of them to know what she was doing.

Stern's door was wide open, which usually meant that he was alone; she was happy to discover only him inside, sitting at his desk. "Robert," she said.

He lifted his head from the paperwork before him and set whatever it was aside. "Well, Tal, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He seemed just as upset as everyone else who was working on the Rojas case. "Wasn't it you who only forty minutes ago told me to get my head out of my ass and actually do something right?"

She disregarded the question and looked him straight in the eye. "I want to meet with them. But, in my own way." He had ignored her request right off the bat, because it could jeopardize everything. But, she seemed so determined and the look in her eyes told him that she had a plan.

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk. "I'm listening."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Bobby was still asleep when she got back a few hours later with an armful of groceries, which she deposited on the kitchen counter before she went to check on him. He was curled up in a ball on top of the sheets of her queen-size bed. Something about this scene told her that this was right. Maybe it was the fact of coming home to someone and actually cooking them dinner. It was what she loved most about being with someone, you were never alone. She closed the bedroom door lightly and went to work on dinner.

Soon, the apartment filled with smells of chicken and garlic. She had two plates set out where she placed two pieces of chicken and a spoonful of her spaghetti noodles covered in a garlic sauce on each; it was one of hr special dishes and it was easy to make.

She placed both plates on the counter and went to wake Bobby. She almost didn't have the heart to wake him as she saw him lying there. But, he needed to eat something.

She took a seat next to him and placed a light kiss upon his nose. "Hey, Handsome, dinner's ready." He barely stirred at her touch and she had to run a hand through his hair for more stimulation. His eyes opened only a crack before he closed them again. He needed sleep more than he needed food. "Come on, time to eat." She spoke softly to him and continued to play with his hair.

"Why? Sleep is so much better." He yawned loudly and stretched, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Lay with me."

She shook her head and rose out of his grasp. "No. Come eat." She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. He only stood for a moment before he fell back onto the bed, she couldn't help but follow. She squealed loudly as she landed on top of him.

His arms snaked around her waist and held her to him. "Haven't we been here before?" He gave a chuckle as she tried to squirm from his grasp. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm hungry," was all she said, but he still wouldn't let her go. Instead he flipped them so he lay atop of her. She tried to protect, but his lips captured hers and sent the thoughts of hunger from her mind. Her head was swimming; his kisses always did that to her and she loved that feeling. It was like she was floating every time their lips collided.

She closed her eyes and welcomed the warm feeling that flooded over her. But, a familiar face appeared in her mind; one that she had been trying to block out for years. His ugly grin and the look in his eyes bored into her brain and wouldn't leave. She felt her skin begin to crawl at the thought of his hands on her body, in places they shouldn't have been. She wanted to cry out, but she couldn't.

"Danni?" His voice pulled her from her thoughts. She opened her eyes to see his handsome stormy-blue ones looking down at her with concern. "What's wrong?" His voice was consoling as he notices how stiff she suddenly became. He saw the frightened look in her eyes and felt as though he did something wrong. Was he moving too fast for her? Did she not want to go through with it? If she didn't, he was more than willing to stop.

She tried to speak as she gathered her thoughts, but nothing came. She only lay there and stared into his eyes as she sorted everything out. Finally, she shook her head and pushed him off of her. "I can't do this." It wasn't that she didn't want to; she just couldn't. Her past always seemed to haunt her when she became intimate with a man. She knew she shouldn't let it, but even today she was still frightened of it. She got up from the bed and turned away from Bobby. She didn't want him to see her so terrified and she wished that he would just disappear. As much as she hated being alone, that was all that she wanted right now.

He wouldn't go, though—not when she was so frightened. "I'm sorry," he apologized. He thought that this was all his fault and wanted to make up for it. "I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to." He was now standing right behind her with his hands gently resting upon her bare shoulders. Even with her in this state, he couldn't ignore the electricity he felt from her skin. It charged him and made him want to fix everything.

"I know," she replied, though she didn't look at him at first. She wanted so much for him to take her in his arms and make love to her, but she was scared. Bobby wasn't her first; he was just the first to bring that incident to the surface. She wanted to talk to him about it, but there was something she wanted much more.

She finally turned to him, her back resting against the closed door of the bedroom. She looked up into his eyes and felt her return to herself. His eyes showed her the depth of his respect and admiration he felt for her and also something more; something she just couldn't pinpoint.

"I didn't mean…" he began, but she cut him off by placing her fingers over his mouth.

"It's nothing that you did. I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a light kiss on his lips. It quickly turned into a passionate one as she pulled his mouth closer to hers.

All thoughts were thrown away as the fire between them raged once again. His hands found their way to her hips and roamed the hem of her tank top, until they finally found their way underneath the soft fabric. His fingers glided over her soft skin, making her shiver and elicit a soft moan.

His lips trailed from her mouth, down her neck, to her practically bare shoulders. He gave a smile against her flesh as he heard her moan again. That was a sound he just couldn't get enough of.

His hands glided higher, the fabric of her shirt following. They only pulled apart for a moment as he removed the light blue, cotton barrier and threw it to the floor. He was surprised to discover the mint green-colored, lacy bra she wore. It was another enticement that he found so arousing.

His hands returned to her sides and continued to rise higher. He cupped her breasts through the lacy material and felt like the obstacle needed to go. It could wait, though. He wanted to explore her more before it went.

His mouth traveled lower as it passed over the swells of one breast, then the other. He lightly nibbled on the soft flesh of her stomach and kissed those same spots to ease whatever discomfort he caused. He knelt before her, his fingernails lightly raking across her burning skin and his lips still running over her tingling skin. The way he suckled upon her flesh made her moan and that only made him do it more.

His fingers lightly danced upon her silky legs until they rose to her shorts. He removed the barrier, placing a kiss upon the newly-revealed flesh that appeared just above the bikini panties she wore that matched her brazier.

"Bobby," she moaned. Her legs felt like jelly and she leaned against the wall for support.

He didn't say anything as he got to his feet, her rump in his hands as he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him as he resumed his attack upon her mouth. His teeth caught her lower lips which he suckled and nipped until she moaned again. She did the same, which surprise him and let out a low, yet aroused growl.

Neither of them could stand it anymore. He carried her over to the bed, but didn't lay her down just yet; she wouldn't let him. He had done most of the attacking and now it was her turn.

She pulled his shirt from his pants and unbuttoned a few of the top buttons. She stopped and let her tongue dance across his newly-revealed skin. She continued to do the same, until all of the buttons were finally undone. She stood up from her seat to push the article from his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. She placed a sensual kiss upon his jaw, cheeks, and neck, trying her hardest to ignore his mouth as she worked on the belt of his pants.

He wouldn't allow the torture to continue. He cupped her chin and pulled her lips to his. She didn't pull away. The colliding of their lips forced her to work harder on getting his pants undone.

Finally, he stepped out of them and lay her down. His lips attacker hers for a little longer as one hand ran through her soft hair and the other roamed her lithe body. They only pulled apart for air. Their breathing was ragged and sweat was beginning to form on their foreheads.

"Danni," he whispered softly as she stared down at her. She had a smile on her face that reached her eyes. It was as if she was beckoning him to finish what he started. Their hearts were racing and their blood was boiling. There would be no turning back if they continued. "Are you sure?" He still had the feeling that he had pushed her into this.

She didn't see it that way, though. She wanted this just as much as he did. She closed her eyes and laughed lightly. "Bobby, shut up and kiss me," was the last coherent thing she said as he captured her lips once again.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Eighteen**

Her head lay on his bare shoulder as she inadvertently played with the soft hair on his chest. She snuggled up close to him, never wanting to leave his embrace. His arm was lightly wrapped around her shoulders and his head rested upon her own. Each time he inhaled, he breathed in the flowery scent of her shampoo. His hand drew lazy circles on her arm as they lay together.

Neither were asleep nor neither wanted to be. They were afraid to wake up to find that it had all been a dream. They knew it wasn't the case; it was just the fact that they were content in the silence of her bedroom.

He placed a light kiss on the top of her head and let out a soft chuckle.

She looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "What?" What was running through that mind of his?

"I was just thinking how only a few days ago, my life seemed as though it had gone down the tubes. Now, look at me. Never in a million years would I have expected this to happen, but I'm happy it did." He grinned to show her how happy he really was.

She smiled meekly back at him and said "I'm glad." She returned her head to its previous position and stared out the window and up at the stars. She swore to herself and closed her eyes. At least he was sure about this, now. How was he going to feel later?

"I'm happy that I met you." He placed another kiss upon the top of her head and tightened his hold on her. "I've never had a connection like this with anyone… I've never felt this way before."

She furrowed her brow in confusion as she looked back up at him. "What way?"

He shook his head and hugged her. "I don't really know what it is." He looked down into her eyes and smiled. Her face was only inches from his and he wanted to capture her lips again, yet she seemed distracted. "You okay?"

She only nodded as she reached up and gently stroked his cheek. She wanted to remember the look in his eyes at this moment. He just looked so happy and she didn't want to take that away from him. She welcomed his lips upon hers and her head began to swim once again. It was only a sweet, romantic kiss, but it was one that she couldn't get enough of. "I love it when you kiss me," she whispered with their lips only centimeters apart.

"I might just have to do it more often, then, won't I?" He smiled for a split second as their lips collided once again. Unfortunately, this embrace didn't last as long as the first. They were interrupted, once again, by Bobby's phone. He glanced at the alarm clock and groaned. It was still early, so of course he would get a phone call. He picked it up from the nightstand as he held Danni in his arms. He gave her light, butterfly kisses as he answered. "Manning." Danni snuggled closer into him and waited for him to continue from where he left off.

"Bobby, it's Jack," the team leader announced with a strange tone in his voice. "Sorry to bother you, but we've got a development."

"What kind of development?" He glanced down at the girl in his arms to find her eyes closed, but knew she wasn't asleep. If anything, she was listening to the conversation.

"It's Tal. She wants to meet with us… tonight." Jack's tone told Bobby how sorry he was. He figured that he would have gone to Danni for support and that could only mean one thing. Of course, if his friend wanted to tell him, he would.

"Why tonight?" Obviously, this wasn't something Bobby was looking forward to. He just wanted to spend the rest of the night where he was. He was content there.

"Your guess is as good as mine. So, hurry over to Metro so we can get this over with."

Bobby could tell that Jack didn't like this and he had to agree. Tal agreeing to a meeting was certainly sudden, but perhaps it had to do with Jessup's little screw up. "Right," with that said, the Aussie hung up the phone and glanced back down at Danni. Her eyes were now opened and she was looking up at him with a smirk upon her lips. "Duty calls, luv." She only nodded and let him slip out of the bed. She pulled the bed sheet up to cover her chest and sat up to watch him get dressed.

He placed a light kiss upon her nose and looked into her eyes when he was ready to leave. "I'll call you tomorrow. I have a feeling that this may be a long night. But, if you'd like, I could come back and we could finish where we left off."

She shook her head and gave him a smile. "If you come back tonight, we might not get any sleep." She gave a soft chuckle as she leaned her back against her pillows.

"So, then, we'd be even, then," he replied as he kissed her once more and reluctantly exited the bedroom. The rest of the apartment was dark, except for the soft moonlight that filtered in through the uncovered window. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough light for him to see clearly. He tripped over a chair at the kitchen counter and knocked her purse to the floor. All of her belongings from the handbag were now spilled out onto the floor. He bent down to pick everything up and by the time, everything was back inside, there was only one more item left.

The light from the open window illuminated the object and he furrowed his brow in confusion. It looked like it could have been her wallet, but he had already put her wallet back into the purse; he even checked to make sure. He turned on a nearby table lamp to get a closer look at it.

He already knew what was enclosed before he opened it. He didn't want it to be true, but it was. Danni wasn't who she said she was; she lied to him and fabricated everything there was to know about her. This was proof.

With a shaking hand, he flipped it open and confirmed his suspicions. Who was this woman? What kind of person was she to hide something like this from those who cared most?

The silver metal shimmered in the lamp light and he felt tears spring to his eyes. He had been deceived; or had he? He had to know the truth and there was only one person who could help him find it.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Nineteen**

They were all assembled in a small conference room at Metro PD, waiting for Tal to make her grand debut. Her sudden willingness to meet with them certainly brought up many questions. They would just have to hold them in for right now. They were told that Tal wanted to say something to them before any questions were asked.

The only one who didn't seem to be curious was Bobby, which Jack definitely noticed. He would usually be asking any question that came to his head, yet he remained quiet at the end of the table so he could sort out everything. There was so much he wanted to know, but was afraid to ask. He felt like he had been deceived, yet he didn't know the whole truth. Maybe if he knew the whole truth, then he could understand.

"You okay?" Bobby recognized the voice right away and nodded. He was okay; just in shock. "You sure?" Bobby nodded again and looked up at his friend to see his concerned expression. "Look, we need all of you here, tonight, Bobby. I hope you can put whatever this is aside for now."

"No worries, mate. I'm a professional." He gave a less than confident smile, but Jack seemed to accept it. Funny enough, Bobby's voice would have given everything away if he wasn't such a professional. His heart was in pain, but he didn't want it to show. He had a job to do and nothing was going to get in his way.

"Good." He patted his friend on the back and returned to his seat as Stern entered the room. Tal wasn't with him, though, most likely, he wanted to speak to them before she revealed herself.

Everyone noticed the overly-confident smile on his face and that was certainly not what they were expecting. He'd been trying to protect his officer's identity the whole time and she was willing to reveal her true self. He should have been more upset by this. "This meeting is short notice, I understand and apologize. But, a member of my team wishes to discuss something with you." He may not have been deterred by the gathering, but something was definitely bothering him. His face seemed to have more lines and dark circles had formed under his eyes. Apparently, the FBI was not the only ones losing sleep over this case.

Stern motioned to the door to signal for Tal's entrance. He moved aside when a black-heeled foot entered the room and she took the floor. She certainly wasn't what they'd expected to see. They'd all imagined Tal to be rougher around the edges or at least not very attractive. Yet, she stood before them; a beautiful, young woman. She didn't even look like she could open a jar of pickles, but she was supposed to be highly-skilled at hand-to-hand combat on top of her surveillance skills.

She wore a plain black skirt that fell to mid-thigh—it showed off her incredible-looking legs very nicely—and a camisole top that showed off her womanly figure. She had deep green eyes that seemed to bore into you from twenty feet away and her blond hair hung flat down to the small of her back. It was hair was you just wanted to run your fingers through. She was trying to show them just how much of a woman she was, and also how good of an officer she was. No one would ever have expected her to be a tough DC cop.

Of course, she didn't look like any cop the agents have seen before. But, that could have been the point; they weren't supposed to know that she was a cop.

Jack and Bobby shared a look as if thinking the same thing. She looked familiar, but neither could remember where they had seen her before. There was something about the way she presented herself and her appearance that made them wrack their brains so they could remember.

The team leader was startled when Sue nudged his arm and signed something to him. It took a moment to realize what she had just said, but he realized she had just finger-spelled BOOMER'S. Then, it clicked. Tal was the blond who was flirting with Stern the night they went to meet with him. It had never occurred to them that she was in with his crew. He had assumed that she was just a patron who knew his team very well.

"You're Tal?" Tara asked, obviously the only one able to speak. The fact that the woman before them was a surveillance expert was surprising.

While everyone else remained in shock, Sue couldn't help but study Tal's and Stern's faces. They both seemed a bit too happy. Something wasn't right. She had a feeling that they were being lied to, but if that was true, where was the real Tal?

"Yes, I am. And I know that this week has been hard on all of you, but we can't give up. I have sources that tell me that Rojas and his buddy are going to try again. They think they've tricked us, so they would be dumb enough to try a drop in the same exact place. Unfortunately, we are as oblivious as you as to who the other man is and when the drop will occur."

"So, how will we know who this guy is?" Myles asked.

She gave them a serious look as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I honestly can't answer that. We're just going to have to keep a sharp eye out for anything suspicious."

The meeting was soon over and the agents felt that they had a lot more information now that they had a few hours ago. They would have to get SOG out to Boomer's to make sure they knew everyone who was going in and coming out of that bar. Jack was already on it as everyone filed out of the room, except fro Bobby and Tara.

He had been lagging behind so he could talk to her. She was a genius when it came to information and she was the only one who would be able to find out what he wanted. He watched as she packed up her laptop and got ready to leave. "Tara?" He asked, softly.

She was almost at the door and turned around to look at him. "What's up, Bobby?"

"I need you to do me a favor. I found something that I need you to look up in Metro's files." She slipped her a piece of paper as Sue poked her head in the door and told Tara to hurry up.

Tara nodded to Sue, but turned her attention back to Bobby who she looked at with a clueless expression on her face. "Okay, Bobby. What's it for?" She really didn't care what it was for; she would have done it regardless if it made his sudden moodiness disappear. She was starting to miss that happy Bobby that she'd met this week.

"Reassurance," was all he said and walked out of the room. He gave Sue a small smile as he passed. He didn't want to say any more in front of her than he had to. It was about Danni and she probably wouldn't appreciate it if he was checking up on her.

She and Tara gave his fleeting form the same confused look. They'd noticed how different he seemed all of a sudden. Something spooked him and they didn't like it one bit. It took a lot to shake him up and whatever it was, it was big. "What do you suppose that was about?" Sue asked.

Tara shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows?" She slightly rolled her eyes and gave a giggle. "Men are strange."

"So, what is it?"

Tara unfolded the piece of paper and stared at the writing on it. It took her a moment to decipher what the numbers actually meant. When she finally realized what they meant, she was even more confused. She glanced up the hall to where Bobby formally stood and furrowed her brow. "I think it's a badge number."


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty**

A half-hour later, the bullpen was buzzing with animation as SOG reported back to Jack about the sighting of Rojas. He was at the bar and he wasn't alone. Sue was monitoring the video feed that was viewing on the flat screen while Myles stood beside her, writing down everything she read. Lucy and Tara were occupied at the tech wiz's computer, scanning the file they accessed with the numbers Bobby gave her. They were in awe at what they read.

"Bobby, you are the greatest," Tara exclaimed when he hung up the phone. He had been conversing with Stern and informed him that he and his team should be heading over the bar as soon as possible.

"Thanks, Sheila… What did I do?"

"That badge number you gave me; do you know whose it was?" He shook his head as her printer began spitting out page after page. "Bobby, it was Tal's. How on earth did you get her badge number?"

He stared at her with a dumbfounded expression as he tried to figure out what she was talking about. "Tal's badge number? It was Tal's badge number?"

She nodded with a happy smile on her face. "Yeah. How'd you get it?"

Thankfully, he didn't have to answer that question as Jack hung up the phone and called the room to order. "Okay, people, SOG has informed me that Rojas has definitely arrived. They said he encountered a man in the bar who didn't match any of the descriptions of his accomplices. This may be the man we've been waiting for." He paused as his cell phone rang again. "Hudson." It was SOG yet again and they thought he would find this bit of information enlightening. A woman flashing Tal's ID was seen entering the bar. "What did she look like?"

Demetrius and Bobby stared at Jack as his face fell. He obviously just got some news he didn't enjoy.

"What do you mean she's a brunette?" His exclamation silenced the room and caused everyone to crowd around him. "We just left her at Metro, there's no way that woman could have been her."

"Jack, what is it?" D asked.

Jack only held up his finger to signal that he needed a minute as he listened to the officer on the other end. "She showed you her police ID? The one with her photo? You're sure it was authentic?" His eyes closed as he swore to himself. "We're on our way." He hung up the phone and let out a deep growl. He wanted to let out a loud curse, but bit his tongue as he looked at each member of his team in turn. "Bobby, call Stern back and tell him to get to Boomer's. I want to talk to him personally. Tara, get Tal on the phone and find out where she is. I want her brought in for questioning. The rest of you, suit up." He paused as he turned his attention to Sue. "I want you to stay here and when the Tal we've met is brought in, I want you to make sure she doesn't leave. I'll post an agent at the door if I have to."

"Jack, what's going on?" She asked, speaking not just for herself, but for the others as well. They were clueless as to why he would want them brought in.

He sighed heavily and filled them in. "SOG gave me the description of a woman entering Boomer's Bar. She showed the officer at the door her ID… her Metro PD ID. It matched Tal's badge number, but it wasn't the one we've been speaking with. Either there are two of them running loose, or we've been had." He scanned their faces to see if he was taken seriously and that his orders had been understood. "Go. The faster we move, the faster this will all be over."

He didn't need to tell them twice. They quickly rushed off to do what they were told. He let a heavy sigh escape his lips as the stress began to weigh heavy on him. He was startled when a soft hand calmly touched his arm. Sue was there to comfort him if need be and he understood that. He placed his hand on top of her and gave it a gentle squeeze. He would need her confidence for this as his was all worn out.

* * *

It occurred in the same exact spot as the last drop. The two men were draped in darkness as their customer, a Senator's lackey, quickly exchanged his money for the product. That was all the FBI needed to charge in. The purchaser tried to run, as did Rojas, but the third man seemed to just disappear from the alley. But, they would worry about him later. They were sure to have his image, now. The surveillance camera had been replaced with one equipped with night-vision. They'd find him.

Now, all they had to deal with was Tal or whatever her name was. She had a lot of explaining to do. She was already inside the building and, according to SOG, there were far more patrons in there now than there were before.

Myles and D drilled Rojas into finding out the identity of the third man, which they knew he wouldn't reveal, while Jack and Bobby entered the building, clad in their SWAT gear. If this woman was dangerous, they needed to take precautions.

Patrons of the bar all scrambled at the sight of the agents. While most of them ran for the front door, only one ran to the back of the building. They quickly followed their acquired target.

She hadn't expected the FBI to show up so soon. She'd thought she would have more time. She had to hurry. Time was of the essence, now.

Ducking into an office, she made sure to not be seen. She crouched low and leaned against the door as she saw them run past. She let out the breath that she had been holding in and went to work. She had to find something and she had to find it fast.

Rojas had been working out of this place for months; she would definitely find what she was looking for in here. Frantically, she searched every drawer and came up empty with all of them. There was only one more to check and she was sure the agents would find her soon. The faster she worked, the faster she would be out of there and no one would be any the wiser.

She was so preoccupied with the drawer that she never noticed the door opening and the man with the gun sneaking in. Her eyes lit up as she found what she was looking for. She clutched it to her chest and cheered to herself. "Gotcha!" she whispered and closed the drawer before she heard a loud click. She tensed up and slightly turned her head to see who was standing behind her.

"Don't move."

She recognized the accent straight away. Her eyes closed as she swore under her breath. She knew she had to try to talk herself out of this, but her mind wouldn't cooperate. She had been caught and of all the people to catch her, of course it would have been Bobby. "I know how this looks," she said. She tried to remain calm, but she was, in reality, terrified of what he might think of her. Why did all of this have to happen at once? It would have been so much easier if the case had come first.

"You honestly don't want to know what I think, _Tal_." He put an emphasis on her name to show his disgust. He despised the woman before him; he knew she was in on this for some reason. So, what did she get out of the deal? "Slowly get to your feet and face me." She carefully got to her feet, what she was looking for still in her hands. "You are under arrest for misleading a team of federal officers… and that's only part of a long list of charges. Turn and face me," he ordered. She winced as she turned to face him. She was happy that the flashlight was blinding her, so she wouldn't be able to see his expression. The problem was that she could just imagine what it looked like and he certainly wasn't happy. "You…" he cut himself off as he got a good look at her face. "Danni?"


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Bobby paced the bullpen as he waited for Tara to pull up Danni's file. He shook his head in disbelief of what had just happened. How could she have been the one? How could she have been Tal all along? Or was this another of her tricks? It honestly wouldn't have surprised him if she turned out to be a con artist. She was very good at lying.

There was also the fact that she had been caught with a thousand dollars in counterfeit bills and a gun that didn't belong to her. There was so much that she needed to explain.

How could he have been so blinded by her? He wanted to kick himself for being so susceptible to her misdeeds?

"Oh, boy," Tara said as she read the record to herself before informing the others.

"What is it, Tara?" Jack asked as he glanced at Sue who was standing beside him. She was just as shocked as Bobby, but she knew differently. Danni wouldn't have done something like this; she knew she couldn't. Sure, Danni had fallen on hard times in college, but she was different now. All of that was in her past.

Now, Danni was locked in a holding room, waiting for Jack and Sue speak to her. Jack had considered letting Bobby in on the interrogation, but he was way too close to this, as was Sue, but he needed her for this. Not just for her skill at reading people, but also so she would be close to him. He needed her there to soothe him and to make sure he did everything by the book.

"Okay, first off," Tara began, "the gun she was carrying; it wasn't hers. It's been reported stolen from an artillery shop in downtown DC." She saw Bobby close his eyes as if he'd just been slapped across the face. "Second, she has a record. She attacked a young man while in college and put him in the hospital. Fortunately, for her, the case was thrown out when there was no evidence that she did it." Now, Bobby looked as though he had just gotten a blow to the stomach. Danni had told him that she had done something that she wasn't proud of; something she highly regretted doing. This was just a step over the line that she never should have taken.

"This doesn't look good," Sue said softly. But, she wouldn't accept this. There had to be a reason why all of this happened.

"It's not," Tara said. "There's one more little tidbit that we've already figured out and she neglected to tell us."

"She's Tal," D said. It was a statement that they all needed confirmed.

Tara nodded. "Yes. According to her file, she goes by the title of 'Detective Sergeant Danielle Talbot'."

Bobby collapsed into a nearby chair; he felt as though he had been knocked down by a powerful blow to the head. Everything was out in the open, now. Danni was a stranger to him. "I want to be in there," he stated.

Jack and D looked at each other as if thinking the same thing. He couldn't go in there; not in the state he was in. "Bobby, I can't let you do that." It was D who answered, though the Aussie was looking at Jack. "You are far too close to this case."

"I can get her to talk."

"You don't know that," Jack replied.

"I have to try." He stared directly into his best friend's eyes with a serious expression. He wouldn't give up until he got his way and Jack knew that.

"All right. But, at the first sign of you getting out of hand, you're out of there. Got that?" Bobby only nodded as an answer. Jack looked at him as if studying him for a second and let out a heavy sigh. He hoped that he was making the right decision.

* * *

Tension was high in the holding room as Sue, Jack, and Bobby entered. Danni sat in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest and an angry stare in her eyes. Her blue orbs barely flickered as the three agents stood before her.

"You have a lot of nerve," she said, signing for Sue's benefit.

Jack and Bobby glanced at one another with the same surprised look. They didn't know that she could sign. "What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"You're more worried about me when _he's_ still out there."

"And who is he?" Sue asked.

Danni shrugged. "I don't know. Did the new camera get a picture of him?"

"How do you know about that?" Bobby asked. They were trying to play dumb. They really wanted to hear it straight from her mouth, but they had a feeling that she wouldn't fall for it.

"I'm sure you've read my file, you know who I really am. I don't belong in here."

"Well, according to our evidence, you do. Or do the money and the stolen gun not ring a bell?" The Aussie was being very crass with her and Jack shot him a look of warning. If he had an outburst like that again, he would most likely be removed.

"Stolen gun? What stolen gun?" She refrained from signing. Sue would be able to read her lips just fine and she wanted to know what they were talking about. Signing would take up too much time.

"Or your police record, explain that. Tell us about how you attacked a man in college and put him in the hospital."

"He deserved what he got," she said simply, but with an angry sneer.

"Danni, you didn't," Sue begged as she saw the evil look in her cousin's eyes. "Please, tell me you didn't."

The brunette rested her elbows on the table as she leaned forward to look Sue dead in the eye. "No. I didn't. I was arrested for it, but I was let go for lack of evidence… Someone else did it." She let out a chuckle. "I told you I fell on hard times, didn't I?"

"This is no laughing matter," Jack stated. "Why did he get attacked?"

"I'm sure he pissed a lot of people off." She gave a smile that told them that she wasn't one bit upset by it. "Like I said, he deserved it."

"He was an innocent man," Sue told her, which made Danni chuckle again. Unfortunately, the brunette didn't think it was all the funny in the first place.

"He was _far_ from innocent."

"What makes you say that? Why would he have been attacked? Why did he deserve it?" Bobby's voice was rising at every question, which made Jack contemplate throwing him out of the room. But, they were good questions and he wanted the same answers.

"Because," was all she said.

"Because why?" The Aussie was fed up with her cryptic bull. He wanted a straight answer from her and if he had to do that by yelling at her, so be it. He was surprised when he saw tears forming in her eyes. He hadn't expected that reaction from her.

"Because he tried to rape me!"


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"_Because he tried to rape me!"_ she exclaimed. The tears in her eyes suddenly trickled down her cheeks, while the three agents stared in awe. Sue wanted to hurry to the other side of the table to console her cousin, but a part of her wanted to know the story. Jack remained straight-faced, but it didn't prevent him from feeling this girl's pain. She had been a victim when she was so young; it was no wonder that she changed herself for the better.

Bobby couldn't breathe at her statement. He felt bad for the way he'd treated her. He didn't know what to say to her, except, "How did it happen?" There was something inside of him that told him not the trust her, but he wanted to hear this; he wanted to know what she had kept buried inside of her for so long.

Danni shook her head as the memory cursed her. "I can't. I don't _want_ to remember what happened." She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled loudly. This was one thing she never wanted brought to the surface. It was in her past and she couldn't change it. Why did everyone always want to talk about it?

"Danni, please?" Sue asked, signing something to her that only Danni would understand. It was something they had done since they were young and Danni knew that Sue wouldn't judge her for anything, because of that sign.

The girl nodded and took a deep breath. "I was nineteen at the time; it was before I lost touch with everyone… actually, it was because of it that I lost touch with everyone." This was directed to Sue so she would understand how long ago this really happened.

"I had stayed for a bit after one of my classes. I was talking to a few of the others students in my class and our professor about an assignment he had just set for us. I wanted to make sure that I understood everything before I went to work on it. I was still a perfectionist at this point in time. It wasn't until after that everything had gone downhill for me.

"Before I knew it, the sun had already set and lamps were lit. I knew I shouldn't have even been walking home by myself, but all of the others in my class lived in different dorms that weren't even close to mine. So, I walked.

"There had been some guy wandering around at twilight, attacking random girls he came across. I was so terrified that I would become the next victim that every few steps that I took, I stopped and I listened. I know now that I shouldn't have done that. I should have kept going and ignored everything that I heard. But, I was scared and I was alone. I couldn't help but worry. I suppose that was my downfall; that was what turned me into his next victim.

"It happened only a block from my dorm. I heard a twig snap and at first, I thought it was a squirrel or a chipmunk; I suppose I'd hoped that that was what it was. I never expected it to be him. He came out from behind a bush, wearing a ski-mask so I wouldn't see his face, but also so he could… do whatever he wanted. I dropped my bag and I tried to run, but I was just a quiet, young woman who couldn't run all that fast. He caught up to me and threw me into the grass. He fell down next to me and covered my mouth with his hand. He told me that if I made a sound that he would kill me. I was so terrified that I had to comply.

"He removed his hand from my mouth and I just looked at him. If I had wanted to scream, there would have been no way possible. I was petrified and that was the way he wanted it. He just wanted me to lay there and do nothing… so I did.

"In just a few short moments, the buttons on the front of my dress were either opened or they had broken off. His mouth… he kissed me everywhere he could, except my mouth. That was the one place where I wouldn't let him touch me. He didn't mind, though. Foreplay obviously wasn't his thing. His hands groped me and prodded me in places… even today, I can still feel him. My skin still crawls at the thought of him.

"But, like I said, he _tried_ to attack me. I knew, that when he was ready to en- to… you know, that I couldn't let him. There was just something inside of me that said, _"Don't do this. Don't let yourself become the victim."_ So, I listened to it.

"I had taken a class or two on self-defense. With him roaming the campus, every girl did. None of us wanted this to happen… to anyone. I had only known a few things, but the basics are all you need, right?

"He had gotten onto his haunches to unbuckle his belt and that was when I knew what I had to do. With one swift knee, I had him grabbing himself and rolling off of me and into the grass. I quickly scrambled to my feet, grabbed my bag and ran. I didn't know where I was going or how long I was going to run. I just knew that I had to get away.

"I was surprised when I ended up on the doorstep of my dorm house. I had no idea how I'd found myself there, but I was relieved. I hurried inside and locked the door without looking behind me. I didn't want to know if he was still following me or not… I just wanted to be safe."

"What happened then?" Sue asked, tears trickling down her cheeks. They weren't tears of disappointment, though. They were tears of pride. Her cousin had stood up to someone so strong and freed herself from his clutches. Many other girls of that age never would have fought back; she was one of the lucky ones.

"I went to the police and they investigated it, but they told me that it was a random incident that they couldn't control." Her head was lowered and she still refrained from signing, but Sue was still able to read her clearly.

"Did they catch him?" Jack asked as he looked at her with sympathy before glancing over at the corner of the room where Bobby now stood. He had gotten up in the middle of the story, because he didn't want to listen any more. He didn't get far as she continued without interruption. The sad thing was that Bobby wasn't sure if he believed her tale. She had fed him so many lies that he wasn't sure of the truth anymore. He just stood there, with his arms crossed over his chest. His face showed no emotion, like a good interrogator's would. His eyes were steeled, except for the fact that tears were forming in them. It was so hard to deem it all a lie.

Danni nodded. "Yeah, they caught him; but not before someone else became the victim. The next day, a girl was found dead. It happened not too far from the spot where he'd attacked me. All he wanted was something that had been plaguing his mind for so long. He'd never meant to kill anyone. When he attacked her, he'd had his hands at her throat to stop her from doing anything like I'd done. He'd turned himself in." A tear dripped down her own cheek as she choked out a laugh. "The funny thing was that it was listed as an accidental death and he was set free. As far as I know, he's still out there, hurting innocent women… But, that's why I do what I do. Because of men like him."

"That's all fine and dandy, but what does that have to do with anything that we're dealing with here?" It was Bobby who spoke up. He couldn't stand listening to this anymore. He stared daggers at Danni, but she didn't look away. She kept her gaze on him the entire time as he came fully into her line of vision. "You were caught red-handed and you weave us this little story about how you… you…" he trailed off and turned roughly away as Jack gave him a look of admonition. Bobby was beginning to get out of hand, the team leader knew, and he had to stop that from happening.

"I didn't _weave_ anything. I told you the truth," she said softly. She didn't blame him for his anger. She was, after all, at fault for all of this. She should have told him the truth from the beginning.

"Tell us what we want to know! Tell us who the other man is!" He leaned on the table, his hand only inches from hers, which he didn't realize until she tried to reach out and touch him. He quickly pulled his hand away and stood up.

"I don't know who he is! I told you everything I know!" She was yelling now, just as he had.

"Yeah right," he muttered before he gave Sue a look that said: "You talk to her" and leaned against the wall, still in Danni's line of vision.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Sue didn't get the chance to say anything, though. Danni got up from her chair and approached Bobby in a manner that made her seem even angrier at him than she was at herself. "Don't pin this on anyone else. Just say what you want to say to me." She stood before him with her hands on her hips as she waited for his reply. Her eyes were boring deep within his own as she stood her ground. She had gone up against such hardened criminals; a Special Agent who was getting too big for his breeches was nothing for her to be scared of.

Jack and Sue looked at each other as they waited for Bobby to retaliate. This should have been put to a stop, but he wouldn't do anything drastic and he supposedly had something up his sleeve.

He remained quiet for only a moment as he thought about what he wanted to do and say. He swallowed hard and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled what looked to be his wallet from within and took out something from one of the inside slots. He tossed one on the table, then the other. "Explain those." His voice sounded hurt, which he had been trying to hide but was unable to. "Explain those and the fact that you had a stolen gun, not to mention a grand in counterfeit bills in your possession. If you're who you say who are, I'd like to hear that explanation."

She furrowed her brow in confusion as she picked up both items he had thrown. The wallet looked like it was made of black leather and the other items like photo IDs. Her eyes went wide as she looked up at Bobby. "I've been looking everywhere for these… You had them?"

"Where did you get them?"

Jack gave his best friend a puzzled look, because he didn't know what it was they were talking about. They all knew that Danni was a cop, but Bobby was asking mostly about the photo IDs; they were something that no one knew about. Danni took a seat back in her chair as Jack took the faux credentials from her grasp. She willingly let him take them. He showed them to Sue who was just as confused as he was. She then flipped open her wallet to reveal the silver shield within. It was Metro's shield.

"Are these yours?" She didn't really want to ask that question, because she already knew the answer. Danni was a Metro cop; she got that. What she was more focused on were the fake IDs. Each had the girl's picture on it, but with different identities.

Danni nodded. "I used them for work when I go undercover… I've wanted to tell you since I first came to visit you, but then the case happened and Stern didn't want me blowing my cover… Adrienne only impersonated me under my recommendation. Please, don't penalize her because of me." Adrienne, they now knew, was the blond version of Tal that had called the meeting. She was a good friend of Danni's and she didn't want to see her end up in jail.

"That is something we can deal with later," Jack informed her, but he was pretty sure the blond would be set free. Danni sure had some good friends. "Now, we need to get a hold of Stern."

"You mean you haven't called him yet to vouch for me?" She was shocked at that fact. She'd assumed he would be the first person they would call.

"Why, so he can bail you out of this too? I've read the reports. This isn't your first time in this kind of situation."

Danni, as well as Jack, was getting fed up with Bobby's attitude. She had dealt with something like this before, but he was getting on her nerves and told him so. "That's behind me and just like this, it was a misunderstanding. If you'd read a little more, you would have seen that I was set free… Besides, you don't know Stern like I do. He's not as heartless as he seems."

"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it." This time, it wasn't Bobby's big mouth that spit that out. It was Jack's.

Danni couldn't help but give a smile. "You don't believe me Agent Hudson?" She raised an eyebrow as she awaited an answer. She knew what others thought about Robert Stern. That was just a façade. Most people didn't really get to know the man all that well. He was very private and only let a few see the man he really was.

"Let's just say, he doesn't exactly shown that puppy-loving side of his to anyone."

"He's a tough guy. He needs to keep up that mask so no one can see what's really in his heart."

"And what is?" Sue asked.

Danni took her shield back from her cousin and reached inside a slot that hadn't been emptied by Bobby. It was a slot that was hidden for very personal things and she wasn't surprised he hadn't found it. From the slot, she pulled a photograph of a little girl with her father and showed it to Jack. "She is."

"This is Caitlyn, isn't it?" Sue was looking at the photograph in Jack's hand. The girl looked only to be six or seven. She was adorable in her little white dress and her dark blond hair tied up in a ribbon.

Jack and Bobby were puzzled as to how Sue knew that. They looked at her as if she were the one who was hiding things.

"Yes," Danni replied. "She's Stern's little girl… and I have the feeling that something bad is going to happen to her."

"What makes you think that?" Jack asked.

"Esteban knew that Robert was hot in his trail. His men and this new accomplice will finish him off if given the chance. If we don't do something, both of them are going to die… I just know it." Her face filled with sadness at that thought. Her eyes trailed to Bobby who, she knew, was ready to open his yap and say something stupid. She cut him off even before he even formed words. "She's seven-years-old, Bobby. How are you going to feel with her death on your conscience? I don't know about you, but Hell, itself, would be better than that misery."

Bobby took the photo from Jack and looked at it. He examined the happy face of the small child and he felt his heart clench at the thought of someone so young dying because of some monster. But, there was still something inside of him that still didn't understand all that was going on. "All right, let's say we do believe you. How do we know this is Stern's daughter? As far as we know, he doesn't have a daughter and computers can do some mighty interesting things these days." His voice was kinder this time as he asked, though it didn't prevent him from accusing her in his mind. He was really looking for the truth and not an argument, but his brain was what made him protest against her. His heart was what wanted the truth to be revealed.

"You're just going to have to trust me."


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

"_You're just going to have to trust me."_ Bobby scoffed as he rolled his eyes which she found really irritating, but didn't let it show. "Call him and ask him if you want, but you're only wasting more time. Rojas's men are fast workers and they will finish Stern off without a second glance."

"We've already tried calling Stern. We had no answer at the station, his home, or his cell phone. Apparently, he doesn't want to talk to us," Jack said with aggravation. Of course Stern would be ignoring them. That was what he did best. He obviously didn't like dealing with the Bureau. Luckily, the feeling was mutual.

"What about his emergency cell phone?"

All three agents furrowed their brows in confusion. "What emergency cell phone?" Sue asked.

Of course they didn't know about it. Not too many people did. "He had it for calls about Caitlyn. He gave it to me because I tutor her whenever I get the chance. Let me call it and find out where he is. I need to warn him."

The sincerity in her eyes made Jack turn from her gaze to look at Bobby to see if he was going to blurt out any more snide remarks. The Aussie found her idea to be a good one and nodded as a response to the question that wasn't asked. Jack pulled his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "Put the speaker phone on," he ordered.

She nodded as she dialed the number and made it so Jack and Bobby could hear. Sue would have to wait patiently until she was filled in on what was going on. Danni listened to the rings and heard the phone pick up after so many, but no voice could be heard. She didn't care. She needed to warn him without interruption. "Robert, it's me. Look, you have to move out. You need to get Caitlyn and go somewhere you can't be found. I can't explain right now, but you just have to trust me."

The cackle the three heard made their blood run cold. Sue saw their expression of horror and knew something was wrong. She had a feeling of what was going on, though.

"Robert can't come to the phone. He's got an appointment to keep. Hopefully you can attend too. It's going to be a blast!" With that, the phone went dead. They all stared at it for a split second as if it would give them an answer of what they should do next. Nothing came to them as everything sunk in.

Danni's eyes closed with horror as Jack snatched the phone back. The funny thing was that there was something about that call; something very familiar. She knew that voice.

"See if Tara can trace the call," Jack said as he tossed his cell to Bobby. "We need to find him fast." Bobby nodded and was about to leave the room, but then Danni spoke up.

"Wait… there's no need for that. I know where they are and I know who _he_ is. I know that voice." She wanted to kick herself for not seeing it sooner. "How could I have missed it? It was right in front of my face and I never knew."

"What is it, Danni? Who's doing this?" It was Bobby who asked and he seemed frantic for an answer. It would take forever to get a lead on this, which means Stern and Caitlyn would be dead by then. If Danni knew who and where, he needed to know.

Her eyes filled with both anger and hatred at the thought of him. "Jessup," was all she said before she closed her eyes again and slammed her fist upon the table. "I can't believe him. It was him all along. The money, the drugs, the gun; he did everything. He wanted me to take the fall." She stopped her rambling and looked up at Bobby. "What, no comment from the peanut gallery?" She asked with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Bobby couldn't help but give a small smirk, but as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. "We know all about Jessup—just not what he was capable of. Where are we supposed to find him?"

"I want to come," she blurted out, causing the three agents to stare at her incredulously. "What? He set me up! I want to help take him down."

"Danni, you're not exactly in a position to negotiate," Jack informed her.

She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "Then, we have a problem."


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

It took most of her effort, but Danni was finally successful into talking Jack into letting her join their raid. Of course, it didn't take much. She knew where to find Jessup and she wouldn't reveal it until they agreed to take her along. D wasn't too keen on letter her go, though. But, because of lack of evidence, she would have to be released anyway. Yet, it didn't mean that she wasn't guilty for something.

"_I wouldn't make this king of deal if I wasn't innocent," she told them, a fire burning in her eyes. She was willing to tell them everything she knew if it meant she could assist in the rescue. "Jessup is a conniving, insensitive simpleton! He set me up! He wanted me to take the fall for him. I can help you bring him down and I won't tell you where to find him, unless you agree to let me go along." For once, it wasn't Bobby she had been arguing with. It was Jack to who she stared daggers at now._

_He had been taken aback by her outburst, but he didn't know why. She had been yelling for how long about how she was innocent. The truth had to have been in her words, somewhere. He thought for a moment before a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "All right. But, at the first sign of trouble, I want you out of there. I'm not going to be responsible for you." _

_She gladly agreed._

Somehow, Sue had convinced Jack to have Bobby been Danni's escort for the ride to their destination, which the Aussie wasn't too happy about. She wanted the two of them to reconcile; there was no reason to keep fighting over something so trivial. Bobby was falling in love with Danni—it wasn't hard to see—and Sue didn't want what they had to be thrown out the window because of their jobs. Work would come and go, but a connection like theirs was rare.

When they arrived on sight, SOG was standing by for orders. No one was to enter until the FBI arrived. Though Bobby had doubted her epiphany, Danni was more than positive that Robert and Caitlyn were inside. Unfortunately, Jessup wouldn't stay to watch, she knew. He apparently had other plans in store and that's what he would be focusing on now.

* * *

The Stern residence resided in the suburbs of Maryland, not too far from DC. The house was big and if Danni was right about Jessup setting bomb charges, it would light up like a Christmas tree. But, Caitlyn was inside; she was sure of it.

Two teams would enter the house and Danni would be allowed to join one of them. She wasn't going to stand on the sidelines and watch her friends get killed. SOG would enter through the rear, while Jack and D led their team inside. Tara sat with Sue in the surveillance van and held each others' hands. This was a dangerous mission and many lives were at stake.

Clad in SWAT gear, they broke down the door with a battering-ram and scanned the area for any sign of Rojas' men or Jessup. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, yet. "Clear," Bobby said as he found nothing in his line of vision.

"Clear," Jack stated. "Let's split up. The more ground we cover the better off we are."

They split into two groups of two and one of one. Bobby gave Danni a fleeting look before he left her side. She shouldn't have been allowed to join them, he thought. She was putting herself in so much danger by joining the team. But, there was no use arguing with her. She was very stubborn when it came to things she wanted.

Jack and D headed up the stairs to search the two floors above them. They learned from experience how many psychos usually would tie the children up in their bedrooms so they could be around their belongings before they were blown to pieces. Luckily, this wasn't one of those cases. Both floors were empty.

Bobby went does to the basement; it was another obvious location that victims would be tied up. But, all he saw when he went down there were the bomb charges; a lot of bomb charges. "Jack, we've got a situation. We've got enough charges down here to make it look like the Fourth of July." He paused as his eyes rested upon the timer that lay in the center of the room, atop a barrel most likely filled with a highly-flammable liquid. How they ever managed to get all of this into the neighborhood without anyone being suspicious was beyond him. This certainly should have drawn some attention to them. "And we only have two minutes to find them before they go off."

"Bobby, is there any way you can disarm them?" D asked.

Bobby only had to think for a second as he examined everything. "There's no way, mate. We have to find them, _now_."

"Then, I suggest you get to the living room… and hurry," Myles stated.

Jack, D, Bobby and SOG were all in the living room in a matter of seconds to see Stern and young Caitlyn tied up in the living room. The door had been locked and it looked like Myles had to break it down to get inside. He and Danni had managed to get only their gags off before the rest of the task force joined them.

Time was quickly ticking by as the victims were cut loose. Robert picked up his daughter and held her tightly to his chest to comfort her young tears. He'd never wanted her to be involved in any of this. He wanted her to always be protected. That was the reason why many people didn't know of her. She was his pride and joy and he wanted her to be safe.

The explosion shook the ground and lit up the night's sky. Passers-by were blinded by the light, as were Tara and Sue as their screens became devoid of any movement whatsoever. They never saw the agents exit the building. They only saw Stern and Caitlyn. Another explosion went off and all that was seen were a bunch of dark shadows flying through the air.

Sue and Tara scrambled out of the van to watch as Jack, D, and Myles got to their feet with very little effort. They would be sore tomorrow, that was for sure. Their injuries would not be to a grave extent. They got out well before the first explosion went off. Danni might not have been so lucky, though.

"Danni?" Sue asked as she saw her cousin's motionless body lying in the grass. She watched as someone knelt above her and checked to see if she was still alive.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

She'd hit her head pretty hard and if it hadn't been for her helmet, she could have become more injured. It took her a moment to focus as she stared up at the sky and took shallow breaths to ease the pain. She felt a heavy weight upon her, but didn't realize what it was until the stars disappeared from before her eyes. Bobby was leaning over her and he was staring down at her. It was then she realized that she was no longer wearing her helmet, because he had removed it for her. No wonder she couldn't remember taking it off.

She was stunned to see the worried expression in his blue eyes as he tried to discern if she would be okay or not. "Bobby?" she muttered, which quickly drew his attention back to her eyes.

He smoothed the hair away from her face, his fingers gently caressing the smooth skin of her face. "How do you feel? Is anything broken?"

She gave a weak smile as she shook her head to the best of her ability. "No. I just have a headache, is all." Her heart did a flip as she saw his gorgeous smile once again. She couldn't help but chuckle at his sudden change in demeanor. "And I thought you were mad at me," she quipped, but then she became serious. "Are they okay? Did they get out in time?"

He nodded as he glanced toward them. Mrs. Stern was there as the paramedics took care of them and the smoldering remains of the residence were being snuffed out by the fire department. "We got them out," he told her. He couldn't resist moving another stray piece of hair from her face and resting his hand upon her cheek. "I'm glad you're okay." He stared seriously into her eyes as a lump formed in his throat. "I'm-"

"Bobby," she interrupted, "please don't start apologizing. We've still got a bad guy to catch. We can worry about _us_, later." She couldn't help but smirk as she looked into his eyes. She could get lost in them for hours, but she couldn't let herself just yet. "Besides, you have nothing to apologize for." She wouldn't let him protest as she held out her hands for him to help her to her feet. Her head swam as all the blood rushed from her head, but she wouldn't let a simple dizzy spell stop her. Jessup had gone too far and he was going down; she would be the one to make sure of that. Not Jack, not Bobby, but her. He'd screwed with her for the last time.

Bobby eased her over to the ambulances so she could be examined, despite her protests. "The more time we waist, the farther away he's getting," she complained. "Besides, I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me." She tried to take a step forward out of his grasp, but her legs buckled and she found herself in Bobby's arms as he caught her. Her heart began to race as she looked up at him and felt his strong hands hold her up. She had a feeling that he'd sorted everything out and now understood why she hid her life from him in the first place. It was just something in his eyes that told her that everything was going to be okay.

"I don't think you're fine. You took a pretty good knock to your loaf. Please, just let them give you the okay before you decide to run off and play the hero?" He was lightly teasing her, but she didn't seem to notice. All she was focused on was the sincerity in his voice.

She reluctantly agreed; she just couldn't argue with that look in his eyes. When she had been given a clean bill of health, despite having a chronic headache for a few days, she made sure to check up on Robert and Caitlyn. Robert was busy with his wife, but the little girl rushed into Danni's arms, where she was promptly lifted up and pulled into a hug. "_Are you okay?_" the adult signed to the little girl.

Caitlyn nodded and signed back, "_Yes. I was scared though._"

Danni nodded as she saw the tear streaks upon the girl's cheeks. "_It's okay to be scared sometimes._"

"_You're not scared of anything._"

Danni gave a chuckle and shook her head. "_That's not true. Even __**I**__ get scared._"

Bobby watched the signed conversation in amazement. "I didn't know Caitlyn was deaf," he said aloud. He was mostly talking to himself, but if someone heard, he didn't care.

"They say that she'll only be able to hear slightly as she gets older. With the help of a hearing aid, she'll be able to understand some speech. Danni's been wonderful with her." It was Mrs. Stern who spoke up as she watched on. The two always seemed to have quite a bond. "Caitlyn's never bonded to anyone like that before."

The Aussie smiled as he continued to watch. The rest of the team was getting patched up, because of their slight injuries. The next move would have to be after everyone was all right. His eyes filled with sadness as the realization of all this sunk in. He had really flown off the handle before, which he had no right to do. She was only trying to protect him, he knew. Even if she didn't want him to, he needed to apologize.

But, as he approached her, he saw her set Caitlyn down as she answered her cell phone. The look on her face told him who it was. She put on the speaker phone so that everyone could hear. The agents' expressions all turned grim when they heard his voice.

"So, you were able to get them out in time. I am impressed, Talbot. You do have a way with words, don't you? I mean, after all, not too many people can lie to the FBI and get away with it." He gave a chuckle that chilled them to the bone.

"What do you want, Jessup?" She asked angrily as she looked up at Bobby whose expression matched hers. She wanted to reach out for his hand for comfort, but she had to be brave. She still had a job to do.

"I'm going to give you the opportunity to bring me in, Talbot. If you want me, come and get me… and come alone." With that, the call ended which left a sense of dread hanging in the air.

Jack exchanged looked with Bobby who was switching between him and Danni. "I don't like the sound of that," the Aussie state.

"Yes, he's definitely up to something," Myles added.

"Of course he is," Danni stated. "But, I _have_ to bring him in. I _have_ to take him down." Her tone was stern as she looked at the agents who surrounded her.

"Danni, I don't think we can let you do that. There's no telling what he might do," Sue said as she stood at Jack's side. Through the side of her eyes, she checked Jack for any sign of agreement. She didn't want Danni to go in alone.

"But, if you all run in and try to stop him, he's just going to run again. I _have_ to do this. I don't want him to hurt anyone else."

D and Jack glanced at one another as if thinking the same thing. She had a point. Jessup _would_ run again if he saw them all rush in. They nodded to know another as D relayed the message. "All right. But, you're going to do this our way."


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

For once, Bobby didn't like the FBI's way. Danni would still be going in alone and he didn't seem to be partial to that. She had already put herself in enough danger for today; there was no need to any more. The more he protested, the more she wanted to do it. There was no turning back, now.

Bobby wanted to say so much to her as he saw her getting ready to face her enemy. She had no fear in her eyes, but it didn't mean there was none in her heart. He wanted to take her in his arms and never let her go. He would rather it be him going in.

His thoughts raced as she looked into his eyes as if waiting for him to say something. When it didn't come, she took a deep breath and a step forward. "Danni," he finally said. His hands felt clammy as he saw her stop and turn to look at him once more. His heart pounded as he saw the look of hope in her eyes. He wanted to say something; something that would tell her how he really felt. Words just escaped him as his body took over. He took three steps and by the second, she was in his arms, their lips in a loving embrace.

She was startled by this at first, but her hand snaked to the back of his head to push his mouth closer to hers. Her heart fluttered like mad as his hands found her waist and he pulled her body closer to his Kevlar-covered one. It was as if he was saying how she would always be close to him—how she would always be with him; no matter what.

"Be careful," he said as he pulled is lips from hers, despite her whimper of protest. He leaned his forehead upon hers and looked into her eyes. "Stay sharp; don't let him mess with your head."

She couldn't help but smile at his over-protectiveness. "You act like I've never done this before." She kissed him once more and released herself from his grasp. She had a new-found courage running through her, now and she loved it. The way Bobby made her feel was nothing like she's ever felt before. She wanted to feel more of it and would make sure she would. She gave him a confident smile as he joined the rest of his team. They would reside outside, unless Danni needed assistance.

She glanced at Sue and signed to her that everything was going to be all right. Sue didn't seem convinced as evident by the tears in her eyes. She feared for her cousin's life, but she was trained well and she would keep her wits about her. If only this nightmare would end.

* * *

Her eyes scanned the dimly-lit bar as she entered. Glass and debris were scattered upon the floor from the patrons fleeing the scene a few hours ago. She kept a sharp eye out for anything suspicious as she tried to not make her presence known yet. She had been equipped with a camera, microphone, and earpiece so she would have contact with the FBI if need be. Right now, she was giving them a visual of what was going on. Also, that there wasn't a sign of Jessup, just yet.

She figured that he would choose to meet her at the bar; it was the one place he truly fit in, after all. In fact, it was Jessup's idea to have Robert meet Jack and Bobby here; probably to do something illegal right under their noses. Unfortunately, she was beginning to think she had chosen wrong, unless he was biding his time until he saw an open opportunity to kill her.

She had chosen correctly, though. He was there, but he was studying her. He'd seen her creep around a building like she was now; she was scoping out the place. That must mean that the FBI idiots were close by. "You know," he said from the shadows, "you disappoint me." He stepped out of a dark corner to reveal himself. He'd hidden in the shadows to see if she had followed his directions. Apparently she hadn't and she was going to pay for it. "I thought I told you to come alone."

She played it cool and acted like she didn't know what he was talking about. "I _am_ alone," she told him, but by the expression on his face, she knew he didn't believe her.

"You're lying to me. That's not nice." He pulled a gun from behind his back, aimed it and fired. She let out an alarmed scream as the bullet hit the receiver to her wire.

* * *

At the sound of her scream, Bobby was ready to charge in and rescue her. Jack held him back though as he asked Tara if there was any signal. As he waited for her answer, he stared Bobby confidently in the eye. "She's going to be okay. We can't just run in."

"But…" Bobby tried to protest.

"But, nothing."

"Jack, we have a slight signal, but I can't understand what they're saying. I have to do a little bit of tweaking, and then we'll at least be able to understand bits and pieces… Video's out and so is her earpiece. The mic is the only thing that still works, but I don't know how long that will last."

"What about the building's surveillance cameras?" Sue asked.

Tara shook her head. "They're all disabled. He expected this, I'm sure."

"Is Danni okay?" Bobby asked.

Tara paused as she listened to the slightly scrambled feed and nodded when she heard Danni's voice. It was strong, which meant that she hadn't been harmed. "Yes."

The Aussie let out a sigh of relief. He didn't know how much more of this he could handle.

* * *

The piece of hardware fell from the belt of her dress slacks and landed with a thud. They both saw the smoldering hole where the bullet had entered before their eyes met. The gun he held was still aimed at her as he studied her stance. She had screamed, yet she wasn't frightened; at least she didn't look it. She looked as confident as ever. "Drop your weapon," he ordered.

She didn't play stupid, this time. She immediately pulled the gun from the back of her pants, made sure to remove the clip, and sent both pieces to the floor. It was one of Jack's extra guns, considering the one she had been carrying was stolen, but now she knew where her gun had gone. Jessup had pulled the switch on her. She glared at him as he gave a satisfied smile. Her heart was racing, but whether it was from adrenaline or fear, she wasn't quite sure. She just knew that she had to hold her ground. Faltering now would bring a very horrific outcome.

He slowly approached her, the gun still aimed at her. It was a safety precaution for him. There was no telling what else she had up her sleeve; she might not have looked like it, but she was very sneaky—he learned that from experience. "I know this may surprise you, but I don't want to kill you. I just want what I deserve."

She cringed as he stepped closer and invaded her personal space. She turned to back away, but when her bottom bumped into the table behind her, she knew there was nowhere else to go. Her eyes filled with confusion. She didn't owe him anything and she certainly wasn't going to give him anything. "And what do you deserve?" Her voice wavered for only a syllable, but he didn't notice, he was too busy running his eyes over her body.

"What I was denied all those years ago." He held the gun under her chin and leaned in to graze her neck with his lips. She pulled away and it only made him push the gun harder into her skin. It was still hot from its previous fire and it was uncomfortable upon her flesh. He looked into her eyes with malice as he saw her puzzled expression. He couldn't help but bark out a laugh. "You don't get it, do you? You don't remember me?" He asked, his ugly grin forming on his lips. "You're the reason I was put in prison. It's your fault that I got beat so bad that my face was unrecognizable." He paused as he saw her eyes light up in recognition, but it was obvious she still didn't know who she was dealing with. "An innocent girl died because of what you did to me. I only wanted to have a little fun and you had to ruin it!"


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

"_I only wanted to have a little fun and you had to ruin it!"_

It hit her like a ton of bricks. She closed her eyes as she felt the wind being knocked out of her. He was the man who attacked her that night. He was the man who haunted her. Her eyes opened, but they were now filled with fear. "You!" she exclaimed.

He smiled with that toothy grin that haunted her dreams. "So, you _are_ smarter than you look." She didn't even have the strength to dignify that with a sarcastic response. She felt drained of all emotion and will as she stared into his eyes. "Now, it's time for what I deserve." His hand found its way to her waist, which he roughly grasped at, making her elicit a loud groan of pain.

* * *

The inhabitants in the van remained quiet through Danni's revelation. The feed was choppy, but they could still understand most of what was going on. If only the video feed still worked, they could see what was going on, though a few of them weren't sure they wanted to know. It sounded like Danni was struggling to keep her composure. Her voice sounded different; it was now visibly full of fear.

Bobby's head was hanging as he struggled to listen. He wanted to go in, now, but Jack wouldn't allow it. His heart raced as thoughts of what might be happening in there ran through his mind. Danni was strong, but who long would that last?

The answer came sooner than expected as a muffled sob reached their ears. Bobby's head jerked to attention as he heard her whimper with terror.

_"Please, don't," she begged._

The air rushed out of Bobby's lungs as he heard that. He couldn't take this. She needed his help. "That's it! I can't listen to this anymore!"

"Bobby, calm down," Jack ordered.

"No. I have to help her… I love her, Jack." He was startled by his own words. He didn't know what made him say it; he just knew it needed to be said. "I love her." His eyes were focused on his friend's as he stared him down. "I can either go in on my own or you can get off your high horse and help me."

Jack was taken aback by his Bobby's words. He hadn't expected such an outburst, but he should have. He knew Bobby was in love with Danni even before it was declared. This was serious. If Bobby went in alone, Danni might be killed. If the whole team went in, they would lose Jessup for sure. There was much to take in account for, but he knew what the right thing to do was. "All right," he said with a nod.

* * *

His hand glided higher as his fingernails dug into her skin. Her blouse was already un-tucked from her pants and a few buttons were already gone. He saw the pain in her face, but didn't take offense to it. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted her to suffer as much as he had.

His palm slid up her stomach and ran in between her breasts. She cringed at his touch and tired to fight, but her body wouldn't cooperate. It was too petrified to fight back.

"What's the matter, _Danni_? That no-good FBI agent does it for you, but I don't?" He asked menacingly. He had accented her nickname as a tease for her, but she didn't really appreciate it coming from his mouth. She didn't answer; she couldn't. He only chuckled and continued with the assault on her body, until he heard the loud click of a gun being cocked. He looked up to see Bobby's shocked face. Jessup wondered how it felt for him to see his girl lying down on a table and another man standing over her. "Well, look who it is. I have to say I'm surprised you had the guts." He didn't move from his spot between Danni's legs, he only held the gun tighter against her flesh.

"Let her go, Jessup!" Bobby took a step forward, but heard Jessup cock his gun into place.

"One more inch, Manning, and I will pull the trigger. It's up to you if she lives or dies."

Bobby looked into Danni's eyes. He had only seen fear like that in them when she told her story. She was truly terrified of Jessup. "Bobby," was all she could get out before the barrel of the gun pushed even more into her skin.

"Shut up," threatened the madman. "I _will_ kill you if I have to."

"The building is surrounded, Jessup. If you kill her, there will be no escape," Bobby informed, though he didn't know how he did it. There was a large lump in his throat and his mouth was dry. He hated to see the fear in Danni's eyes.

Unfortunately, his warning fell on deaf ears. Jessup only switched his hands on the gun. He wanted Bobby to watch as he girlfriend was tortured right before his eyes.

Tears blinded Danni as she tried to focus on Bobby. He glanced at her for only a second before he turned his attention back to the psycho in front of him. She wanted to run as his rough hand rested once again upon her hips, but it hadn't stayed there for long. He explored her buttocks and thighs as much as he could with one hand. She saw his evil grin as his eyes bored into Bobby's.

The white-hot anger in Bobby's face was unmistakable. He was furious at Jessup for doing this to Danni, at Danni for putting herself in this situation in the first place, and himself for not rushing in when he wanted to. "Get your hands off of her!" The Aussie was shaking with anger as Jessup reached for the zipper on her slacks.

Bobby's words were ignored yet again as Jessup's hands found their way to the fastener. "She's such a beauty, isn't she? She's hardly changed in seven years; maybe a little more experienced, but I like that in my women." He was seriously pressing his luck with that comment. But, he did it for a reason. He wanted to see how far he could push Bobby before he was sent over the edge.

The Aussie's eyes closed and he took a deep breath before he opened them again. They focused upon Danni's and stared deep. It was like he was trying to send her a message without speaking. He would try to sign, but the rogue officer would only get suspicious. She knew what he was thinking. She couldn't let herself become the victim. Not after she worked so hard to become the woman she was.

He took a step forward, his weapon still held high. He wanted to tear Jessup limb from limb and he would if he had gotten the chance. The weapon the madman held was removed from Danni's neck and aimed at Bobby. Without hesitation, it was fired and Bobby was sent crashing to the ground.

Danni's eyes went wide in shock at the sight of him falling down. She wanted to cry out and crumble to pieces, but that was not what Bobby would want. This was her opportunity. With a good kick, Jessup was clutching himself in pain but he didn't fall. He staggered a few feet away and aimed his gun at her. A shot was fired, but Jessup was the one to fall.

She looked up at an abandoned balcony—it had been used as a dance floor, when the building was a dance club—to see Jack standing there, his sniper rifle in hand and his brown eyes peering down to make sure Jessup wasn't going to get up. His eyes turned to Bobby who was still lying on the floor as well.

She rushed over to him to find him trying hard to breathe as he clutched his chest. His eyes were closed in pain and he bit his lower lip to transfer it somewhere else.

"Bobby?" She asked, worry clear in her eyes. His blue orbs opened and shifted to look at her. He didn't say anything as he used all of his energy to ignore the pain. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "The vest took it," he cringed as he spoke. It hurt too much to breathe and speaking wasn't that much simpler. "Are you okay?" He raised his hand to rest upon her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

She nodded, but her strong façade faded in an instant as the tears freely flowed from her eyes. She clutched to him for comfort as she sobbed into his chest. "I am so sorry I dragged you into this."

He gently wrapped his arms around her as he sat up and tried to console her.


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

"Don't be," he said giving a soft chuckle. His chest shook for only a second, but he was soon wracking with a cough as the pain seared through his ribs. "I'd do anything to protect you. I just want to be safe." His voice was strained as he shifted underneath her so they would be more comfortable.

More tears trickled down her cheeks at the sound of his words. "This is all my fault."

He shook his head to tell her otherwise. "How can you think that this was all your fault? If it wasn't for you, we never would have known it was Jessup in the first place and Robert Stern and his daughter would be dead… It's not your fault, no matter what he told you. Please, don't think that you had anything to do with this. He was messed up from the start."

"But, I fueled him. I'm the one he's been after for so long… I'm the victim who got away." She finally lifted her head from his chest to look into his eyes. Her blue orbs were red and her cheeks were tear-stained, but as he looked upon her, he couldn't help but think how beautiful she was.

He shook his head and smoothed her hair as he calmed her. "It's a good thing that you did. I don't think I ever would have met you if you _had_ become the victim." He gave a smirk as he placed a light kiss upon her forehead.

"How can you be so understanding?" The fact that he was consoling her when, hours before, he was yelling at her as if she was a hardened criminal was astonishing. But, she supposed that was the way he was. He was the kind of man to wear his heart on his sleeve.

His eyes glanced behind her as Jack stood above them. He was making sure Jessup was properly taken care of, but he was also glancing at Bobby as if telling him to tell her the truth. He needed to tell Danni everything, before he screwed things up.

Bobby rolled his eyes and let out a soft chuckle. Of all the people in the world, Jack should not be giving advice on love. He turned his gaze back to Danni and stared deep into her eyes. There was so much that he wanted to say, but putting it into words was hard. "I have many reasons, luv," he said with a smile. A lump formed in his throat as he saw her return that smile.

The fact that dozens of people were standing around them didn't deter him. Now that he had the chance, he had to say what was on his mind. It would eat him up inside if he didn't. He felt his hands begin to shake as he held her close.

"Like what?" She gave a giggle as she saw his nervous expression.

He wanted to list everything he adored about her, but that was too long of a list and they certainly didn't have as much privacy as they would have wanted. He just couldn't wait. "Well, there are too many to list, but I know of one good reason." He waited to see her waiting expression before he said anything else. He wanted to say this right and he didn't want any confusion or interruptions. "Because I love you."

She wasn't sure if she had heard him right and she had asked him to say it again, which he happily obliged. She was still dumbfounded by that thought and she didn't know what to say. "You love me?" She shook her head in disbelief. This was a dream, it had to be. He only nodded and leaned his forehead against hers as an answer. But, she wouldn't accept it; she couldn't. She shook her head as she pried herself out of his grasp. She got to her feet where she swayed for a second before she stared down at him. "Why?"

His dumbfounded expression matched hers as he got to his feet. He choked out a laugh as he tried to take her back into his arms, but she only backed away. "What kind of question is that?"

She didn't answer as she tried to take another step back, but as she did, her head began to feel light and she saw stars dancing in front of her eyes. Her legs buckled just as they had done at the explosion site. Bobby caught her again, but this time as he eased her to the ground, he saw that she had fallen unconscious.

Sue rushed over to her cousin's side, calling to Jack as she saw Danni go down. She had been watching their rapport from the sidelines and it looked like things were going well, until Bobby expressed his feelings. Why wouldn't Danni accept what he had to say? Any girl would be lucky to have him confess his love for her.

According to Jack's quick assessment, he could see that she had only fainted. Most likely it was because all of the excitement finally caught up with her.


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Thirty**

The room was quiet when she awoke, except for the soft dripping sound of the IV tube next to her bed. She knew she was in the hospital, but she didn't know why. The last thing she remembered was that she was talking to Bobby about something she didn't understand and then, everything went black.

She felt her stomach drop. Bobby. He was so understanding to her situation. He acted as though she had never betrayed him; lied to him. He even told her that he loved her. She didn't deserve him; his love and he didn't deserve someone like her. She was a monster.

If only she had been honest from day one. If only the case hadn't gotten in the way, she would have. But, Stern told her to keep her identity a secret; he said everything would be fine. Boy was he ever wrong.

She sat up in the bed and glanced around the room. She was surprised to see that she was alone. She half-expected someone to be by her side for when she awoke, but she was alone. And that was the way it should have been because that was exactly how she felt. She didn't deserve neither Sue's nor Bobby's affection. She had misled both of them, yet they continued to look past everything she had done. She just didn't understand.

A sob wracked her body as she made a decision. She would leave. She couldn't be around them any longer. She needed to get away from everything that reminded her of them. She didn't know where she would go, but she would figure it out on the way there.

She was about to climb out of bed and start on her way, but when a blond head poked its way into the room, she knew she couldn't just yet. Levi was let off his leash and he cantered over to Danni's bedside. He let out a whimper and pawed at the girl's arm as if to comfort her. She gladly petted the dog to stop his whining.

"Someone wanted to see how you were doing," Sue said as she closed the door behind her. She was surprised to see Danni up and alert, but she was happy that she was. She had a few choice words to say to her cousin before she did anything rash. "How are you feeling?"

"_Like I'm scum_," the brunette signed, feeling that her voice was lost to her; plus there was the fact that the room was too dim for Sue to read her lips. That was quickly rectified when the blond turned on the lamp next to the bed.

"You're not scum and you are not a bad person. You saved two people you considered to be friends. If anything, you're a hero. Caitlyn and Stern would be dead if it wasn't for you. We never would have figured it out if you hadn't known Jessup's voice."

Danni didn't pay attention to Sue's speech. She didn't want to listen and she didn't want to be talked out of anything. "Bobby hates me," she spoke with a raspy tone, which Sue didn't seem to notice. She rubbed her throat to ease the pain.

Sue handed her a cup of ice and shook her head. "He doesn't hate you. He loves you. I can see it in his eyes."

"You can see that, but you can't see it when the man of your dreams is only five feet away?" She didn't mean it to sound like it did, but everything she was feeling seemed to just pour right out of her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

The comforting smile that Sue gave reassured that there was no offense taken. "I know. I'll think of it as a lapse in judgment… What about Bobby?"

Danni cringed at that question. Talking about Bobby would just hold her back and she didn't want anything to hold her back from leaving. But, she knew Sue wasn't going to stop talking until she convinced her to stay. That was what this was all about. "You talked to my mother, didn't you?"

Sue was stunned at that question, but nodded when she saw that Danni needed an answer. "Yes, I did." She lowered her head as she picked at her fingernails. It was a nervous habit and she usually did it when she didn't want to look someone in the eye. "She told me why you left New York. I can't say that I'm surprised."

"Oh, I feel so loved," the brunette said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Danni," Sue scolded.

"You don't understand, Sue. The reason why I haven't spoken to my mother in almost seven years was because that she actually thinks that I did what I was arrested for. She always comes up with all of these wild ideas about what I'm doing with my life and she just doesn't understand."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"Hundreds of times, but every time I do, she puts me down."

"But, it seems like you don't even try to tell her about all of the good you've done. You are a good person, no matter what others tell you."

"I know and I do try. It just seems to go in one ear and out the other. She hates me… everyone hates me."

Sue was getting tired of Danni's disgust for herself. The past was in the past and nothing could change it. She wanted to slap her cousin around just a little bit so she would snap out of this funk. She hated to see people like this and because this was family didn't make it any easier. Fortunately, she didn't have to say what she wanted to, because someone else already cut to the chase.

"No one hates you." Danni closed her eyes at the sound of his voice. She didn't want to be near him, look at him, or even smell him; though he did smell quite nice. She wanted to forget all about him. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than she already had. "Sue, do you mind?" He asked. He wanted to talk to Danni in private and he couldn't do that with anyone else in the room.

She nodded and signed something to Danni behind his back. Basically, she was telling her to trust her heart and not be afraid of what might happen. Danni signed to her to butt-out, but she did it in a joking manner, which showed her that things might turn out for the better. She left them to their conversation as she called Levi over and they closed the door behind them.

Bobby took a seat upon the bed and looked into Danni's eyes. They were filled with so much conflict that it hurt him to see it. She was only the shell of the woman he fell in love with and he wanted to see her put back together. "Danni, I…"

"Don't," she said, sharply. "Please, don't start. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, I do." He took her hand in his and caressed the back of it with his thumb. "I said some things that I didn't mean. I was angry and I didn't understand what was going on. I am so sorry for how I behaved. I overreacted… but I didn't lie. I meant what I said when I told you… how I felt."

"Bobby…" she began, but he cut her off.

"No, let me finish. Danni, you are the most remarkable person I've ever met. I know how hard this must have been for you to keep everything inside."

She shook her head. "No, you don't. I wanted to tell you every single moment I was with you, but I just couldn't. I was afraid."

He furrowed his brow in confusion as his hand unconsciously rose to her face to remove a stray tendril of hair. "What of?"

"I was afraid that I would end up hurting you. My luck with guys isn't the best and I was scared that this would end up like every other relationship I've been in. To be honest, I still feel that way. I don't want to end up hurting you."

"You won't," he protested.

She turned her gaze from his with reluctance, but it had to be done. If she stayed with Bobby, he would get hurt. She wasn't the right person for him, though it sure did seem that way. The connection that they had would be their downfall, she just knew it. "I can't do this, anymore."

He was taken aback by that and he would be lying if he said it didn't hurt to hear it. He wanted to protest, but knew it was no use. She wouldn't listen to him no matter what he said to her. He had only one more thing to say to her and he hoped she listened. "Sue told me about New York and why you left. Please, don't leave DC because of me. You have a job where you are respected, part of your family who loves you for you, and a group of great people that you still have yet to get to know. Even if you and I are no longer together, I would still like to be your friend. I don't want to lose you and if that's what it takes, so be it."

He looked down at her and expected her to say something. Yet, all he heard was her giving a loud sniffle. Even after that speech, she had nothing to say to him. He took that as her answer and nodded. He lifted her hand to his mouth, where placed a gently kiss upon it. He was saying good-bye to a good thing and he knew it. If only he could change the past; if only he could fix her. But, it seemed like 'if only' wasn't going to work in this case.


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Thirty-One**

**One Month Later…**

Happiness was in the air as the little children ran around in the grass. Family members were joyfully chatting to one another as they all reminisced about the past year. Caitlyn's birthday parties always seemed to draw in every member of the Stern family, plus a few friends. For the first time in years, it was not being celebrated at their home, but at a local park. Building had already begun on a new house and it would hopefully be finished without hinder. For now, they were staying with family.

Caitlyn was so adorable in her flowery dress and the little pink ribbon in her hair as she ran around with her cousins who were a bit older, but weren't too rough on her. Robert watched as they played a friendly game of soccer in the large grassy knoll next to the pavilion. His eyes lit up when she saw the joy on his daughter's face. He was so happy that she was still there; he couldn't imagine how much he would miss her if she was gone.

"She looks very beautiful," a familiar, kind voice said from behind him. He turned to see Danielle standing there, a large present in her clutches.

"I'm glad you could come." He took the present from her and set it with all of the others.

"Me too. Of course, I wouldn't have missed this for the world." She paused as she furrowed her brow in confusion. She spotted a tall man refereeing the soccer game and joking with Caitlyn's male cousins. He was the last person she ever expected to see at this party. "What is he doing here?" She pointed to him so Robert would know who she was talking about.

He followed her gaze and gave a smirk. "Caitlyn wanted to invite everyone on the team that rescued her. The others are coming too. He's been playing with them since he got here. I'm surprised they haven't worn him down, yet."

She smiled as she watched him raced down the field and trip over his own feet. She couldn't hold back her laughter as she saw the kids interrupt their game and dog-pile on him. "Maybe I should go and rescue him," she said with a chuckle. She picked a leaf of grapes off of a tray and popped one grape into her mouth.

Robert only laughed as he saw her walk away to rescue her old friend. She hooked her thumb through one of the belt loops of her jeans as she sauntered over to him. She called off the boys and they quickly climbed off of him as she approached the pile. She signed 'hello' to Caitlyn who signed back as she ran off with her cousins.

He was surprised when the pile on him diminished. He obviously hadn't heard her call them off, which meant that he didn't even know that she was there. He was startled at the sight of her. She looked different that the last time they spoke in the hospital. She no longer looked to be that empty shell of a person; she looked like her old self. Yet, there were a few other differences to her appearance. Her hair, for instance, had been chopped off. It was a drastic change from the waist-length it had been, for now it only fell past her shoulders in gorgeous, multi-toned layers. Her skin was even a bit more bronzed than before. She obviously took some time off and got some sun.

"I'm impressed. I never expected to see you here," she said as she held her hand out for him to take. Without hesitation, he took it, but he wouldn't let her help him to his feet. Instead, he pulled her down on top of him where they lay in a giggling heap.

"Are you still impressed, luv?" he asked with laughter in his throat. She was surprised by him. After everything she had done to make sure to keep him away, he didn't hold a grudge against her.

"I'll have to get back to you," she chuckled as she found herself still on top of him. She cleared her throat and rolled off of him. There was no need for them to be so close right now. She lay on the grass beside him so she could stare into his gorgeous blue eyes. "What are you doing here?" She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Uh, Caitlyn invited all of us."

"Us?"

"Yeah, the others are coming, they're just running late. We might have a good football game going on if you'd like to join us?" He wiggled his eye brows at her as he smiled. "I promise to go easy on you."

"Is Sue coming?" Whether or not she had been talking to her cousin, he wasn't quite sure. There was always the possibility that they hadn't talked about the party.

He nodded, "Jack is bringing her."

"Is he still going slower than a snail?"

He couldn't hold back his laughter at that question. "And I thought I was the only one who noticed."

She smiled for only a second before her expression became serious. "Why did you really come?"

He looked at her in disbelief. He wanted to lighten the mood between them, so he couldn't help but crack a joke. "How could I turn Caitlyn down? She was really looking forward to this." He hadn't expected to see the disappointment in her eyes.

In truth, she had wanted him to give her a different explanation that involved her in some way. She wanted him to say how much he missed her and needed to be with her. She had missed him so much, yet she didn't want to admit it. She regretted everything that she had said, though she had needed that time to herself to come to terms with everything. Now, she realized that she needed Bobby in her life. "Oh," was all she said.

"Plus, I heard that someone I knew was going to be here; someone I cared a lot about. I haven't seen her in about a month and I really wanted to see how she was doing."

"Really?" Her eyes were brimming with tears, now. That was what she had wanted to hear all along. He wanted to still be there for her, even though their past wasn't the best.

He nodded. "We ended on bad terms, you and I. I was worried." He saw a stray piece of hair fall into her face and quickly and gently moved it away. He felt her shiver at his touch, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Her smile had reached her eyes, but it had quickly disappeared as she got to her feet. He followed.

"I really wish you hadn't. I'm a big girl, Bobby. I don't need looked after." She dusted herself off and turned away from him. As much as she didn't want to, she was shutting herself out from him again and she cursed herself for it. She honestly wanted to be with him, but she was still afraid.

"Well, what if I said that I liked worrying about you?" He placed his hands gently upon her shoulders in support. She tried to shrug him off, but he wouldn't budge. "I _do_ like worrying about you, Danni."

She turned to face him, a single tear trickling down her cheek. She reached up to brush it away, but he was already there. His thumb gently caressed her cheek, leaving it redder than it had been when she began crying as she blushed at his touch. "I wish you wouldn't."

He turned her around so he could look into her eyes. He could see the hope in them as she returned his gaze. He didn't say anything as he studied her expression. There was more going through her mind than what she disclosed. "I really don't think you believe that." She gave him a puzzled look as he said that and leaned down to place a light kiss upon her lips. Something inside of her was telling her to pull away and run, but she just couldn't do it. Her heart was telling her how right this actually was. Her arms snaked around his neck and his around her waist as they deepened the kiss.


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

**Deception**

J/S and B/OC- Sue gets a visit from a cousin she hasn't seen in years. Bobby takes a liking to her and her him. Unfortunately, they have to meet will in the midst of a very difficult case. Yet, they still press on; until Bobby and Sue find out that she hasn't revealed the entire truth to them. PG-17

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

They trudged up to her apartment, dirt and mud covering them both. That football game had gotten a little too convoluted when Danni had been tackled into a mud puddle. The sad thing was that it was only touch football and Bobby had lost his footing. He was the one who ended up bringing her down. They were still laughing about it as the legs of their jeans hardened and made it difficult to climb up the flight of stairs.

"I still can't believe you tackled me," she whined. Her backside was slightly hurting from the fall that she took. Though she had tumbled into a puddle of goo, there was still hard ground underneath it and that was what was going to bruise her.

"Neither can I. I am sorry, but I just lost my balance. I tried to stop." He was still chuckling as he leaned against the wall outside of her apartment. "If anything, blame Sue, she's the one who tried to throw to you."

She playfully slapped him on the arm as she unlocked her door. "Very funny. I'm going to tell her that you said that."

He looked at her with surprise. "Oh, really? Well, I can't let you do that." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

The front of his shirt was still wet with mud and she really didn't want to touch him, though she didn't have a choice at this point. She cringed as she felt the cool muck seep through her t-shirt. "Ugh, gross!" She exclaimed as he just pulled her closer. She was trying to pry out of his grasp, but just held her tighter. "Bobby!" she squealed with laughter. "Let me go!"

He didn't listen as he switched their positions so she was leaning against the wall as he stood in front of her. He stared down into her eyes and the situation suddenly became serious. "I've missed you," he said softly. He gently caressed her cheek as he brought his lips closer to hers. He didn't let them touch though. He wanted to see her reaction and it was just as he expected.

She leaned up to engulf his lips with hers, but he pulled back with a tease. "I've missed you too," she breathed. She felt a flush rise to her cheeks as one of his hands found its way under her shirt and gently tickled the bare skin of her back. When he pulled his lips away from her reach, a soft whimper escaped her.

She was becoming so distracted by his touch that she barely noticed anything else. She glanced up to see her neighbor standing at the landing, her twelve-year-old granddaughter at her side. Her blush deepened as she cleared her throat to signal for Bobby to remove his hand from under the back of her shirt. "Evening, Mrs. Angstrom… Lilly," she said with a large smile across her lips.

"Evo," Bobby said with a flush covering his face as well. It was one that reached all the way to his ears and it was one that Danni found very cute. He also gave a smile which made his cheeks dimple.

Old Mrs. Angstrom just turned her nose up at Danni and ushered her granddaughter inside, so she wouldn't have to witness whatever it was they were doing. But, Lilly was too preoccupied with Bobby's looks to pay any attention to her Grandma. Finally, she had to be dragged into the apartment by the back of her shirt.

When the door closed, Danni and Bobby couldn't resist cracking up with laughter. "She doesn't like you very much, does she?"

She shook her head, "No. She thinks I'm a bad influence on her granddaughter. I can't see why though." She said it with sarcasm in her voice. She knew that Mrs. Angstrom didn't like her because she rode that blasted motorcycle, for one thing. Another thing was the way she dressed. Apparently, she dressed too provocatively around her granddaughter, though all she wore around Lilly was her old pair of jeans with the holes up the sides and a t-shirt. How she found that offensive, Danni didn't know.

Bobby chuckled as he returned to his previous position, his eyes back to mesmerizing his girl. "She's not the only one you're a bad influence on," he smirked.

She smiled with a questioning look. "Really?"

He laughed slightly as he shook his head. "You have absolutely no idea what you do to me when you smile." It was a confession he had been eagerly awaiting to make for a month and he loved the reaction he got from it. He had never seen anyone turn as red as she had just then and he couldn't help but tease her for it. Of course, calling her tomato face wasn't exactly the highlight of this evening. He got slapped extra hard for that comment.

"You know, I was going to be nice and invite you in, but I've just changed my mind." The expression on her face was one of offence, but there was just a bit of teasing in her eyes.

"Aw, I'm sorry. I was only kidding." He placed a light kiss on her forehead as an apology, but he was only getting started. His lips trailed down her right temple and cheek and repeated the process with the other side of her face, avoiding her lips the entire time. He only covered them with his own when he heard her groan from withdrawal of his lips upon hers.

"I love you," she whispered against him without thinking. She was shocked when he pulled his lips away to look at her. She looked at him with a startled expression. "What?"

He opened his mouth and quickly closed it, because he wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't anticipated her to speak when he kissed her and whatever she had said, he wanted to hear it again. He stared into her eyes with a confused expression. His heart was racing as his mind reeled. "What did you just say?"

She looked at him as if he had gone crazy. She shook her head as she tried to capture his lips again. "I didn't say anything."

He shook his head as if to clear it. He knew he had heard her say something. He wasn't going crazy; she just didn't know she had said it. "I heard you. What did you say?" He had a feeling of what it was and a smile graced his lips as he waiting in anticipation.

She paused as she thought to herself. What had she said? She had been thinking so much at one point that something may have slipped out, but what that was, she wasn't sure. She remembered thinking about how much she regretted what she had said to Bobby the last night they saw each other and the feelings she had had for him that day. Then it struck her. She closed her eyes and let out a short laugh. "I can't believe I said that." She looked up into his eyes and stared into them for a moment. She wanted to make sure she understood everything before she told him. But, it wasn't hard to figure out. Her arms re-snaked around his neck as she became lost in those stormy-blue orbs of his. She placed a light kiss upon his lips as if to test the waters before she looked at him again.

"Danni," he breathed as she ran her hands through his hair. He wanted to say so much to her, but she had something to say first. She placed the tips of her fingers upon his lips so he would refrain from speaking. Whatever he wanted to say, it could wait.

"Bobby," she said seriously as she kissed him once more. This one was more passionate than the previous as her tongue gently ran over his lips. "I love you." This time she said it as clear as day and she saw his eyes light up. "I don't know why I never realized it before, but now I know that I can't live without you."

He was as happy as a schoolboy and he couldn't stop his body from shaking. She loved him; that was what he had been waiting to hear. She was the one he wanted to be with; she was the one he'd been waiting for. "I love you, too," he whispered as he captured her lips again.

Nirvana was nothing compared to the way he kissed her this time. His hand gently caressed the soft skin of her cheek as it slid to her hair. He couldn't help but miss her long tendrils, but this shorter cut was much sexier than he'd ever imagined. His other hand found its way underneath her top. He tickled the soft flesh he found there and felt her shiver from his touch.

He wanted to feel her, to show her how much he loved her. All they needed was the right interruption.

"Lillian Angstrom! Get away from that door!" And that was it. They broke apart and looked at her neighbor's door to see Lilly's big brown eyes staring at them.

Danni couldn't help but giggle as she slid out of Bobby's grasp and moved to the door. She turned the knob and pushed it open as she pulled Bobby inside. She gave Lilly a wink before she closed the door behind her. "That'll give her something to talk about," she said, rolling her eyes. She leaned against the door as she looked up at Bobby who was chuckling at her actions.

He just shook his head as his eyes set upon hers. The come-hither look that he found there made his entire body tingle. The atmosphere of the room became very heated. The sensuous look on her face excited him. He wanted to take her into his arms right then and there, but she apparently had other things on her mind. She slinked over to him and lightly ran her index finger under his chin as she made her way to the bedroom.

During that process, she deftly removed her t-shirt and threw it somewhere on the floor. She knew he would watch as she confidently sashayed into the bedroom. A smile couldn't help but form on her lips as she gave a slight look back at him. The expression on his face was priceless. His jaw was slack and his eyes were wide. He was amazed at the sight of her as she sauntered away from him.

With a loud gulp, he swallowed the invisible lump in his throat and followed her into the bedroom where he caught her by the waist. She squealed loudly as his hands wound themselves around her waist and caressed the soft skin of her stomach. He pulled her against his still mucky shirt—which neither seemed to care about anymore—as his lips grazed her neck and his hands roamed her breasts. His heart pounded as he heard her moan with pleasure. That was a sound he missed terribly.

Her heart raced as she turned in his hold and faced him once more. Her lips found his as she vigorously worked on removed his dirty t-shirt. He had to help, but soon, that article of clothing was sent to the floor as well. Her fingers trailed down his torso, tracing patterns in his chest hair. She felt him shiver under her touch and that made her smile. Now he would know all about what he did to her when he teased her. In seconds, the belt was removed from his jeans and thrown somewhere and his pants kicked off.

She pushed him down onto the bed and stood before him. His hands found their way to her hips again and they worked to unbutton and unzip her jeans. She didn't care, though. Her focus was on his lips. She gently nipped at them, only to soothe them with her tongue afterwards. A moan escaped them both at the same time as his fingernails lightly raked across her lower back and she placed a light kiss upon his Adam's apple. She couldn't help but smile at that sound. She'd loved it the first time she heard it and it still made her tingle.

As she was relieved of her jeans, Bobby pulled her onto the bed with him, where they lay in each others' arms. They wanted to stay like that forever and they very well could have if it wasn't for the passion surging through them. Yet, this was where they wanted to be; it was where they _needed_ to be.

"Bobby," she moaned as his hands slid up her soft curves. Her skin tingled like mad at his touch and it only made her want him more. She needed him, right now. There was no hesitation needed.

"I… love… you," he said as he began trailing kisses down her chest, between the valley of her breasts and down her stomach.

A groan escaped her as her breathing became labored. She was beginning to lose all comprehension. The feeling of his lips upon her skin was more than she could handle. "I love you too," she breathed as his lips made their way back up to her mouth. His lips captured hers once again and this time neither pulled away.

Soon, they found their way tangled in her sheets and that was where they stayed. That was where they made love to one another. It wasn't like the first time; it was so much better. There was more love and passion in this love-making than the last. Lust was not the only factor on their side this time. The connection that was between them would grow with this endeavor and so would their love for one another.

Finally, after so long, things were actually going right for the both of them. They belonged together and no one could pry them apart. There was more to this than they knew, but they were willing to discover everything along the way. True love was an adventure they were both looking forward to.

**The End... For Now**

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading. And please stay tuned for the sequel._


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